The life of Tejano singer Selena is being celebrated once again on screen in
Selena: The Series. Starring Christian Serratos as the late musical icon, Selena follows the life of American-born Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was catapulted into superstardom in the early 1990s before her life was tragically cut short.The first trailer for the debut season of
Selena arrived on October 26 and shows Serratos’ stunning transformation into the beloved Spanish singer. Wearing several of Selena’s most famous outfits, including her bedazzled bras and high waisted pants (an on-stage look that led to the media dubbing her the "Tejano Madonna"), the series recreates some of the most iconic moments from the musician’s career, as well as the private conversations she had with her family and band.
The limited series, which will be comprised of
two seasons, is set to drop its first installment on December 4. The first season will feature six hour-long episodes and focus on the early years of Quintanilla-Pérez, including her father Abraham Quintanilla’s decision to form the family band Selena y Los Dinos. Selena led the band, which included her brother A.B. Quintanilla on bass guitar and her sister Suzette Quintanilla on drums. The premiere season also includes the introduction of lead guitar player Chris Pérez, whom Selena married much to the dismay of her father.The 30-year-old American actor, who is of Mexican and Italian ancestry, has found success both on the big and small screen. Serratos is best known for her roles as Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) friend Angela in the
Twilight series and as Rosita in
The Walking Dead. In addition to Serratos, Ricardo Chavira will star as Selena’s father Abraham, Gabriel Chavarria as her brother A.B., Noemi Gonzalez as her sister Suzette, Seidy Lopez as her mother Marcella, Jesse Posey as Chris Pérez and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.[video_embed id='2064182']MORE FIRST-LOOKS: 'Batwoman' unveils first look at Javicia Leslie in costume [/video_embed]Selena’s life has previously been documented on the big screen in the 1997 biopic
Selena, which starred Jennifer Lopez in the title role. The critically acclaimed film was released only two years after Selena was fatally shot by Yolanda Saldívar, who ran Selena’s fashion boutique and fan club. Two weeks after her death, George Bush, then the Governor of Texas, declared the singer’s April 16 birthday as Selena Day in the state.During her short career, Selena sold 30 million albums worldwide and broke new ground in Latin music. At the 1994 Grammys, she became the first female Tejano singer to win Best Mexican/American Album. That same year, she dropped her album
Amor Prohibido, which is still one of the best-selling Latin albums ever released in the US. Following her death, her posthumous 1995 album
Dreaming of You became the first album by a Latin artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.Unlike the film, which was more heavily focused on Selena’s career after she began experiencing commercial success, the series will include more private moments between the singer and her family during her childhood and teen years. Like the film
Selena, the Quintanilla family has been heavily involved in the making of
Selena: The Series. Netflix announced the project in December 2018, adding that the series “was developed alongside and will be executive produced by The Quintanilla family.”
One person not involved in the making of the show is Selena’s widow, Chris Pérez. The musician has been estranged from his late wife’s family since her death. In April, Pérez shared a
picture on Instagram of Posey in costume as Pérez, writing “Here is a pic I just saw of the actor playing me in the Netflix series. For the record, never met him, haven't seen the script, and I have NO idea what is going on.....but, I'd love to find out.”[video_embed id='2062931']BEFORE YOU GO: Food reviewer sets up a tiny restaurant for chipmunks [/video_embed]
