Renowned director Francis Ford Coppola thanked Selena Gomez on social media after noticing a reference to his work in her latest music video, Sunset Blvd. Gomez released the single and its accompanying video on March 14 in collaboration with her fiancé, Benny Blanco.
On March 18, Francis Ford Coppola took to Instagram to share a couple of stills from Gomez's Sunset Blvd music video and expressed his gratitude for her allusion to his work. In the video, Gomez paid homage to Coppola's 1982 classic, One from the Heart, as she sported 80s vixen-style hair and makeup in tribute to the film. Speaking about the video, Coppola wrote:
"Thank you, dear @SelenaGomez for including an influence from an old grandpa’s work in your new music video “Sunset Blvd.” It’s wonderful to see an homage from ONE FROM THE HEART live again in your beautiful and capable talent."
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Selena Gomez responded to the legendary director on his Instagram comment section and wrote:
"@francisfordcoppola thank YOU for being an inspiration to us all!"
Sunset Blvd is the latest single from Gomez and Benny Blanco's collaborative album, I Said I Love You First, which will be released on March 21, 2025. Gomez has previously released two other singles from this project: Scared of Loving You and Call Me When You Break Up, the latter in collaboration with Gracie Abrams.
Exploring Selena Gomez's tribute to Francis Ford Coppola's classic in her Sunset Blvd music video
Selena Gomez and her fiancé, Benny Blanco, paid homage to director Francis Ford Coppola's 1982 musical, One from the Heart, in her Sunset Blvd music video. The film is a romantic drama set in Las Vegas and follows the journey of a dysfunctional couple, Hank and Frannie.
In her video, directed by Petra Collins, Gomez appears with 80s vixen-style hair and makeup as a tribute to the Francis Ford Coppola musical. The singer sports a bold red lip and signature Hollywood curls, reflecting the 80s Hollywood style. The video features Selena Gomez embodying multiple personas, but she preserves the same vibe as an homage to Coppola's work.
In one particular scene, Selena Gomez is seen singing to a miniature-size Benny Blanco against a cherry red, black, and dark blue background. This moment seems to pay direct homage to an iconic scene from One from the Heart.
In the musical, a runaway circus dancer named Leila (Nastassja Kinski) performs the song Little Boy Blue for the male protagonist in the film, Hank (Frederic Forrest). In the Sunset Blvd video, Gomez is seen taking a literal bite out of a miniature Blanco as artistic liberty. The color scheme, theme, and dance movements also bear similarities to Coppola's work.
Despite being a commercial failure at the time of its release, Francis Ford Coppola's 1982 musical has gained critical acclaim in recent years. The team behind The Joker: Folie à Deux cited the Coppola classic as an inspiration for their film.
Following its debut at the Venice Film Festival, a reprise version of the film titled One from the Heart: Reprise was released theatrically with an additional 19 minutes of footage.
During the 4K restoration of the film, Francis Ford Coppola discussed how the production of One from the Heart financially affected his company, American Zoetrope. The film was produced on a budget of $15 million but only grossed $8 million.
“I’ve always loved ‘One from the Heart,’ despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope. However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with ‘One from the Heart: Reprise," Coppola said.
Ahead of the release of Sunset Blvd, Selena Gomez shared the significance of the single's title on social media. The singer revealed that her first date with Blanco took place at Los Angeles's iconic Sunset Boulevard, which inspired the single.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's joint album, I Said I Love You First, will be released on March 21, 2025.
