Selena Gomez to Star as Vanguard Gay Mountaineer Silvia Vásquez-Lavado

The story of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, the first Peruvian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and the first out gay woman to scale the Seven Summits, is getting a biopic with Selena Gomez in the lead role. Elgin James (Little Birds) has been tapped to direct the film, based on Vasquez-Lavado's forthcoming memoir In the Shadow of the Mountain, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Vasquez-Lavado completed the Seven Summits, a challenge that requires reaching the peak of the highest mountain on each continent, when she summited Denali in June of 2018.

"As I summitted Denali, I became the first openly gay woman who completed the 7 summits, and thus my very special dedication to equality around the world and to love is love!" Vasquez-Lavado wrote on Instagram upon completing the challenge.

In addition to her accomplishments in mountaineering, Vasquez-Lavado, a survivor of childhood sexual assault, launched a nonprofit to help survivors of sexual abuse in 2014, according to a release. Her advocacy work includes organizing mountaineering trips to Mount Everest's base camp for survivors.

The film is being produced by One Community, Scott Budnick's company that focuses on social impact projects, and by Donna Gigliotti (Shakespeare in Love, The Reader, Silver Linings Playbook, Hidden Figures) with Tempesta Films.

"Silvia is a force of nature," Gigliotti said. "Scott and I are so excited to work with Elgin and Selena to tell a story of resilience, courage, adventure, and humanity."

Gomez, who rose to stardom as a Disney kid, has since worked on serious projects including Spring Breakers and The Dead Don't Die.

Holt/Macmillan is slated to publish In the Shadow of the Mountain in winter 2022.