Thanks to last year’s performances in “God’s Creatures” and “Aftersun,” Paul Mescal is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars. And Melissa Barerra is on the rise, too, thanks to her breakout roles in “Scream,” “Scream VI,” and “In The Heights.” Now the two actors collide in Benjamin Millepied‘s “Carmen,” a gritty modern-day reimagining of Georges Bizet‘s opera of the same name.
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Fresh off its world premiere at TIFF last September, “Carmen” follows Barrera and Mescal’s couple on the run from a drug cartel in Mexico and Southern California.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Carmen,” courtesy of Sony Pictures:
Benjamin Millepied’s CARMEN is a gritty modern day tale, with a majestic score by Nicholas Britell, and dream-like dance sequences that evoke magic realism. The story follows a young and fiercely independent woman who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother, another strong and mysterious woman. Carmen survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standoff, Carmen and Aidan are forced to escape together. They make their way north toward Los Angeles in search of Carmen’s mother’s best friend, the mercurial Masilda and owner of La Sombra nightclub – a sanctuary of music and dance. Carmen and Aidan find both solace and their unwavering love for each other in the safety of Masilda’s magical refuge, but time is running out as the police hunt closes in.
Alongside Barrera and Mescal, “Carmen” also stars Elsa Pataky, Rossy de Palma, Nicole da Silva, Tara Morice, Kaan Guldur, Richard Brancastisano, Benedict Hardie, and Pip Edwards.
Milliepied directs his feature debut from a script by him, Loïc Barrére, and Alexander Dinelaris Jr.
Catch another movie with two of Hollywood’s emergent young stars when “Carmen” hits theaters in NYC and LA on April 21. The film gets a wider release later this year. Watch a trailer for “Carmen” below.