The newest development in Selena Gomez’s career is by far the most insane. According to MTV, she’s going to be working with director Harmony Korine on his next film Spring Breakers.
If you don’t know who Gomez is, she’s the sugary sweet teen idol best known either for coming out of the Disney factory of loud-talking and sassy tween actors or for dating a twelve-year-old kid named Justin Bieber. If you don’t know who Harmony Korine is, he’s the certifiable weirdo who’s responsible for directing movies like Gummo and Julian Donkey Boy, films that could be described as shock fodder at best, and pure exploitation at worst. Korine is always digging into the darkest facets of the human psyche and them gleefully shining a spotlight on the sick behavior that he finds. So, you know, this is pretty much a match made in heaven.
Spring Breakers is about a group of college kids who rob a restaurant to get money to go on spring break, but eventually wind up jailed and at the mercy of a skeezy drug dealer. According to Gomez, “It’s a different character than I have ever played before. It’s a different kind of vibe I think than people are used to seeing me in. What you’re going to see is more raw, I think. It’s going to be raw and more about acting.” Of course, to Gomez’s young eyes this looks like a chance at credibility, but for us more seasoned film aficionados it looks more like another clear case of a young actor trying to prove that they’re grown up and serious by doing gross things that nobody will respect on film. That will be good news for Korine’s marketing people, but I have a feeling this isn’t the beginning of a road to prestige film for the young actress.
Gomez joins a pretty star-studded cast that already includes names like James Franco, Emma Roberts, and, another Disney vet, Vanessa Hudgens. Does this sound like a weird prank Korine is pulling to anybody else? Like his next shock tactic will be to get all corporate and wholesome so we don’t know how to react to what he’s doing? Whatever the approach to this film is, I’m intrigued. Seeing how far toward darkness a guy with the creative approach of a Korine can push these young, mainstream actresses will be worth watching for sure. I can just imagine him using Franco as his gateway to get the girls on board. “Come on ladies, James is doing my movie, he’s cute and popular but deep and interesting too. Don’t you want people to think you’re like him?” If you’ll excuse me, I need to go take a shower.