BY: Ashley Blackwell
Published 3 weeks ago
Fresh off the controversy and back in front of the camera, Karla Sofía Gascón is gearing up for another top-notch role. Per Variety, the Spanish star’s latest endeavor is coming to a screen near you! Here’s what we know about Karla Sofía Gascón’s new film.
Following her breakout in the 2024 crime musical “Emilia Pérez,” Gascón is slated to lead Italian writer Stefania Rossella Grassi’s directorial piece “The Life Lift.” Per the news outlet, the psychological thriller chronicles a harassed Gabriel (portrayed by actor/filmmaker Vincent Gallo), who lives in a small apartment in the Big Apple and becomes taunted by a series of notes left in his building’s elevator. The messages, as described by Variety, “order him to commit atrocious murders of three other tenants who, in turn, want to kill their next-of-kin.”
In the production’s synopsis, exclusively obtained by the publication, Gascón’s character is outlined as a psychiatrist who “embodies both God and the devil.” Screenwritten by Rossella Grassi (who’s also producing alongside Carmela Arena/Dizy Production) and Tommaso Scutari, filming for “The Life Lift” will officially commence between late 2025 and early 2026.
At this time, all other details are limited, as the project is still in its developmental stages. We’re hoping to get a release date soon.
Why the News of Karla Sofía Gascón’s New Film Has Caused Quite the Buzz
The announcement of Gascón’s forthcoming effort comes on the heels of a slew of “racist” and “Islamophobic” posts from the trans actress that went viral in January. If you didn’t know, journalist Sarah Hagi took to X (formerly Twitter) to blast comments that Gascón made around 2020/2021 about the tragic murder of George Floyd (a Black man who died at the hands of police brutality) and Muslims.
In one of the remarks, the 53-year-old said, “Islam is becoming a hotbed of infection for humanity that urgently needs to be cured.” Another screenshot showed Gascón sardonically citing, “Islam is wonderful, without any kind of sexism. Women are respected, and when they are respected a lot, they leave a little square on their face so that their eyes and mouth can be seen, but only if they behave well. Although they dress like that for pleasure. What a DEEP DISGUSTING HUMANITY.”
In a thread about Floyd, she stated: “I really think that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler, but his death has served to once again demonstrate that there are people who still consider black people to be monkeys without rights and consider policemen to be assassins. They’re all wrong.” Gascón expanded, “Too many things to reflect on regarding the behavior of our species every time an event occurs. Perhaps it is no longer a question of racism but of social classes that feel threatened by each other. Maybe that’s the only real difference.”
Additionally, during her previous virtual sound-offs, the historical Oscar nominee reportedly called the Academy Awards an “Afro-Korean Festival,” “ugly gala,” and a “Black Lives Matter demonstration.” She also joked about spring rolls and a cat accompanying “Chinese vaccines” amid the COVID-19 crisis.
After the circulation of Gascón’s resurfaced thoughts, many of her “Emilia Pérez” family expressed that they weren’t too fond of her past social rants. The movie’s writer and director, Jacques Audiard, told Deadline, “It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía.” He added: “When you have that kind of relationship and suddenly you read something that that person has said, things that are absolutely hateful and worthy of being hated, of course, that relationship is affected.”
Gascón has since gone on quite a few apology tours — her most famous one being in a statement to CNN where she claimed to have been “deeply sorry to those [she has] caused pain.”
Fortunately, for the budding trouper, the opportunities haven’t ceased. Per The Hollywood Reporter, she’s currently ahead on three flicks, including a French feature about a “blues singer attempting to adopt a girl from a refugee camp.”
Will you be checking out Karla Sofía Gascón’s new film, “The Lift Lift?” Let us know in the comments!
