Karla Sofía Gascón, the Oscar-nominated “Emilia Perez” star who sparked controversy earlier this year over her past offensive tweets, is in Rome shooting Italian comedy “School of Seduction.” The high-profile film, helmed by Italian comic actor and director Carlo Verdone, will drop exclusively on Paramount+ next year.
Verdone, whose films are systematic hits at the Italian box office, stars alongside Gascón and Italian A-lister Vittoria Puccini (“Madly”) and Lino Guanciale (“The Count of Monte Cristo”) in the catchy film about a “love coach” who helps people navigate the complexities of romance in the digital age.
“In an era where falling in love, cheating, making up and breaking up can all happen even through artificial intelligence, six characters — bound by insecurities and emotional fragilities — turn to a love coach to help interpret and guide their lives,” reads the provided synopsis. “Some are searching for love, some are trying to save it and others can’t stop questioning the past.”
Details on Gascón’s role in “School of Seduction” are being kept under wraps.
Carlo Verdone and Karla Sofía Gascón on set of “School of Seduction.”
Courtesy Paramount
“School of Seduction” is produced by Luigi and Aurelio De Laurentiis, who have an overall deal with Verdone. Verdone’s popular TV series “Vita da Carlo” (“Life as Carlo”), in which the local comic icon stars as a fictionalized version of himself, also airs on Paramount+.
“Returning to shooting a movie after dedicating five years to a TV series is like debuting all over again,” Verdone said in a statement. “You are filled with the anticipation and excitement of a new start: wondering if your vision will translate, if your actors will find guidance in your direction, if your focus will set the tone for the crew.”
“But having assembled a cast of such talented, serious, and reliable actors, including Karla Sofía Gascón, I can’t help but feel nurtured,” he added. “It’s a chance to prove to myself, and the audience, that I still have something to say. And I’ll work harder than ever.”
Commented Gascón: “I’m very happy to be part of Carlo’s film and to be working in Italy. I’ve been in Rome for a few days now and I’m having a wonderful experience in a role that’s truly new to me.”
Gascón’s awards season campaign for “Emilia Pérez” imploded in January when she came under fire for social media posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which she expressed controversial views on Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars. The scandal came as Jacques Audiard’s drug cartel musical was the frontrunner for best picture, earning a top 13 nominations and eventually taking home two statues. Gascón, who was nominated for best actress alongside Demi Moore and winner Mikey Madison, apologized for the tweets and ended up attending the awards ceremony, though she did not walk the red carpet. Despite the media firestorm, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a cover story with Variety that the company would be open to working with the actress again.
More recently, Gasón attended the Venice Film Festival last month where she received an Italian honor, called a Kinéo Award, presented by Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage with the Kinéo Cultural Association.
“School of Seduction” is not Gascón’s first film to surface following the awards season controversy. She will appear in several other projects at various stages, the most advanced of which is the 19th century-set English-language Western “Trinidad,” directed by Spain’s Laura Alvea and José Ortuño. In “Trinidad,” which also stars Gabriela Andrada and features Paz Vega, Gascón reportedly plays a villain known as Widow Bronson.
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