Selena Quintanilla, famously known as Selena, brought Tejano music to a national audience with her 1995 crossover album, Dreaming of You, released posthumously. In March 1995 Selena was murdered by her friend Yolanda Saldivar, tragically ending the life of a star on course to be stratospheric. In 1996, Warner Bros released Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez, which made both Jennifer and Selena international household names.
Netflix is releasing a Selena series in December after what seems like a long delay. Netflix released a teaser trailer of the series featuring Walking Dead star Christian Serratos as Selena. The trailer announced that the series will be streaming on December 4 and Selena fans are ecstatic. Here is more on the series via NBC News:
It’s a new series about the coming-of-age story of Selena Quintanilla Pérez, the bilingual singer and pop star who broke records but whose life was cut short 25 years ago after she was murdered at 23 by her fan club manager in 1995. The singer will be played by Christian Serratos.
Last year, NBC News spoke with Moisés Zamora, the series’ head writer and one of the executive producers, about how Selena’s ability to navigate her American life and her Mexican roots resonated with his own situation. Zamora moved from Mexico to California at the age of 11 and though he was educated primarily in English, he felt he had to thrive by writing in Spanish too. Selena grew up speaking English but her Spanish ballads are among her most famous songs.
“Both of my worlds were merging, and I think she did that for a lot of people,” said Zamora, “and why she’s so wonderful.”
I lost my sh*t when I saw the teaser trailer, that’s below. I have been waiting for what has felt like three years for the series to be released on Netflix. It is possible that it has only been a year or two since Netflix announced they were doing the Selena biopic series but 2020 has been impossibly long.
As a proud Texan, I loved Selena and I can remember where I was when she was murdered. It didn’t hit home until a year later when I was talking to my roommate on base in Sicily. She was from Texas and of Mexican descent. We cried over it. Selena without knowing it brought ALL Texans together with her beautiful music.
I am excited that her life and career will be honored in this series. But it still saddens me that her life was cut short unreasonably. She is another star that never got the chance to see how far she could have gone. Her death created such a void that her absence is still felt to this day. Anyhow, I’m gonna take out my red lipstick and prepare for the show. In the meantime, here a few tweets that went out from fans.
I’ve been ready
Stay ready
Don’t even gotta get ready🌹I’ve been on the Como La Flor and Bidi Bidi Bom Bom wave since like five. December 4th about to go crazy #SelenaNetflix 🌹 https://t.co/MwtFHbmzNX
— Quan (@QuanSim5) October 6, 2020
I can’t wait for a new generation to learn about this legend!!!!!!! https://t.co/5eYZhTzlse
— Divya Kumar (@divyapkumar) October 6, 2020
I’m waiting at the edge of my seat for this!!!!! https://t.co/FG1E6mTcHB
— Jamie Lynn (@jamielynn1865) October 7, 2020
photos credit: Netflix and Getty
I love that you covered this and explained her importance to all Texans! Thank you!
Same here. Selena is universally loved in Texas and I’m so excited to see this series bring her legend to greater heights!
I can’t wait for this! We are huge Selena fans. In 2018 we went to the Selena for Sanctuary concert. Hearing her songs covered by Latin artists in front of a mostly Mexican American crowd is something I’ll never forget.
As a Mexican from Texas who was a little girl when Selena was murdered, I am disappointed that they selected a fair, skinny actress to play her. One of the things that always gets me when I watch Selena’s videos is how Indio she looks and this woman is not it
That and the fact that the actress is SUPER thin. Those are literally my two complaints. Selena’s mother was of Cherokee descent. Selena was also a voluptuous woman and not super thin like the actress. But this is Hollywood so sigh, I am bitching about it on the inside.. I do hope they captured Selena’s essence tho. And maybe next time if there is one, they will get it all right.
According to her bio online, she is half Mexican and half Italian.
the actress is yes. but Selena was half Cherokee or at least her mom was which is why she was darker skinned. sorry should have explained that better.
I’m excited for the hair and fashion! I know it’s super 80s, but I’m kinda into her big curls.
Selena is my favorite movie of all time. This series looks really good !
I’m excited to see this and really hope they use Selena’s voice for all the songs. I cry everytime at the end of the Selena biopic, when she’s singing “I could fall in love with you”. It’s so haunting and makes her tragic murder so much more painful.
I’m from Texas, and we love Selena here. I think the J Lo movie was perfect but I’m super excited about the series too. I can’t believe it has been 25 years. My gosh.