Salma Hayek Pinault to Make Theatrical Directorial Debut With ‘Arena,’ Co-Starring Yura Borisov and Cara Delevingne (EXCLUSIVE)

Oscar nominee Salma Hayek Pinault is stepping behind the camera. 

Variety can exclusively reveal that the Oscar-nominated actor of “Frida” and Emmy-nominated actress and producer of “Ugly Betty” will make her theatrical directorial debut with “Arena,” an epic romantic adventure she also wrote. The independently financed film pairs her with Yura Borisov, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Sean Baker’s “Anora” and is the star of Neon’s upcoming “Artificial” from director Luca Guadagnino, alongside Cara Delevingne, who co-stars in this year’s breakout hit “Club Kid,” to round out the cast.

Billed as a forbidden love story about the healing power of love and desire, “Arena” is currently shooting in Mexico across the states of Quintana Roo and Veracruz — regions Hayek Pinault describes as untouched canvases as much as backdrops.

“’Arena’ is a forbidden love story and an intimate journey into exploring someone else while finding the ability to experience intense pleasure in the simple things we take for granted,” Hayek Pinault tells Variety. “The sensorial experience of connectivity with land and nature is enhanced through the spectacular locations of Quintana Roo and Veracruz. These regions are already incredibly cinematic, but finding undiscovered beauties to shoot in this land was a true moment of pride and triumph. I am so excited to show the world these hidden jewels that have never been seen before.”

Hayek Pinault is producing alongside formidable names, including Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (“Girl, Interrupted”), Stacy Perskie (“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”), and her longtime producing partner Jose Tamez (“Beatriz at Dinner”). 

Behind the lens, she assembled notable artisans, including cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, who shot Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and Wong Kar-wai’s “The Grandmaster.”

For Hayek Pinault, this marks an evolution in her more-than-three-decade Hollywood career. She previously helmed “The Maldonado Miracle,” which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding directing in a children’s special. “Arena” will now position her among the growing ranks of actors reshaping their careers as authors of their own vision. Additionally, she does so on home ground, in a country that has shaped her artistry.

Hayek Pinault is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Edelstein, Laird & Sobel. Borisov is represented by United Talent Agency, Curate, Gang, Tyre, Raymond, Brown & Passman and The Lede Company. Delevingne is represented by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.