Jacques Audiard receives tribute, generates Oscar buzz for Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez

Zoe Saldaña has spent nearly two decades starring in some of the most financially successful films in history, including “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame.” You’d think that an actress with such an impressive resume would continually have scripts and prominent roles coming her way. Yet in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” where Saldaña plays Rita Moro Castro, she sings and dances with a ferocity that reveals the depth of her talent in an energetic number, “El Mal.” It was a moment that left me deeply frustrated with Hollywood. Despite her box office success, Saldaña has rarely been given the chance to express her full potential. Why are we only finding this out now?

I expressed these sentiments to Telluride director Julie Huntsinger during an interview with Variety, and she responded confidently, “That all ends now.”

Read: All Academy Awards predictions in all 23 categories can be found on one page in the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.