Selena Gomez is reportedly set to start and co-produce a bio-pic about mountaineer Silvia Vásquez-Lavado, the first Peruvian woman to scale Mount Everest and the first openly gay woman to climb all the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of each of the seven continents.
In the Shadow of the Mountain is based on Vásquez-Lavado’s memoir of the same title that is set for publication in 2022. The iconic mountaineer will also executive produce.
The film will be directed by Elgin James (Little Birds, Mayan’s M.C.), who will also write the script, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The biopic will be produced by One Community, a film, TV and digital content company that co-finances projects that “inspire and encourage positive change in the world,” according to its website. The company is led by founder filmmaker and social activist Scott Budnick (The Hangover franchise, War Dogs), who also recently produced Warner Bros.’ Just Mercy, starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson based on the true story of attorney and civil rights activist Bryan Stevenson’s fight to free a wrongfully convicted man on death row.
Also co-producing are Academy Award winner Donna Gigliotti (Shakespeare in Love, Hidden Figures) and her Italian-British company Tempesta Films. Gomez will produce under her July Moon Productions.
Co-executive producing along with Vásquez-Lavado is Lara Love Hardin of Idea Architects, the same company that represents the mountaineer-turned-author. “We are so incredibly proud of our author Silvia Vasquez-Lavado for her upcoming memoir “In The Shadow of The Mountain” becoming a feature film starring @selenagomez !! And of our wonderful COO Lara Love Hardin for executive producing!” posted the company on Facebook.
–CESAR ARREDONDO