On March 31, 1995, Tejano icon Selena Quintanilla-Perez was tragically killed, devastating her fans in the United States and all around the world. The loss was monumental, but Selena's family was determined to keep her memory alive. They preserved her legacy with a detailed biopic, recruiting a rising Hollywood star to portray the fallen singer's meteoric journey to the top.
With the Quintanillas' approval, Jennifer Lopez was cast to play Selena in the 1997 biopic. Fresh off of the heels of a successful career as one of the most popular Fly Girl dancers on the sketch comedy series In Living Color, Lopez decided to pivot towards acting. Selena was the role that propelled her into the Hollywood limelight.
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The film details Selena's origin story, starting from the suburbs of Corpus Christi where she began performing as the lead singer in Selena y Los Dinos. As the years passed, and the band continued touring around the state, Selena's popularity grew, and she was able to record several Spanish and English language albums. It also explores her love story with guitarist Chris Perez, a relationship that blossomed despite disapproval from her father.
When Selena hit theaters in 1997, millions around the world ran to the box office to pay homage to the lost icon. Now, almost 25 years after the singer's tragic death, fans are still thinking of Selena. She paved the way for my of the Latinx artists dominating the mainstream music scene, so her impact is felt more than ever. Selena's signature style also lives on, with makeup companies rushing to provide beauty lovers with the chance to recreate her iconic looks.
Netflix is currently hard at work at an original series about Selena's life, but as that project is still in development, you can relive her story by tuning in to the celebrated film.
While the movie isn't yet available on major platforms like Netflix, Selena can be streamed a number of ways; you can rent the film on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and iTunes for just $4.99 CAD. And if you want to sing "Como La Flor" along with Lopez at the top of your lungs for the rest of your life, you can own the film for just a few more dollars. Anything for Selenas.
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