Honestly, if you looked at Zoe Saldaña’s resume a couple of years ago, you’d see a woman basically tethered to green screens and performance capture suits. She’s the only person on the planet to star in four different movies that crossed the $2 billion mark. That is insane. But 2024 felt different. It was the year she finally stepped out from under the blue skin of Neytiri and the green makeup of Gamora to remind everyone that she can actually, you know, act in the real world.
The big one—the one everyone was buzzing about at Cannes—was Emilia Pérez. If you haven't seen it yet on Netflix, it's a wild ride. Directed by Jacques Audiard, it’s a Spanish-language musical crime comedy. Yeah, you read that right. Saldaña plays Rita, a lawyer who’s overqualified and undervalued, working for a firm that cares more about getting criminals off the hook than actual justice.
The big pivot: Zoe Saldana movies 2024 and the rise of Rita
When we talk about Zoe Saldana movies 2024, Emilia Pérez is the undisputed heavyweight. She’s electric in it. She spends the first act of the film looking exhausted and cynical, which feels like a very "real person" energy we haven't seen from her in the big franchises. Then, the plot kicks in: a cartel boss asks her to help him fake his death and transition into a woman.
The movie is a fever dream. There are dance sequences in law offices and songs about plastic surgery. Saldaña isn't just a supporting player here; she's the anchor. She won the Best Actress award at Cannes alongside her co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez. That’s a huge deal. It signaled to the industry that she’s done being "the girl in the big franchise" for a while. She wants the Oscars now. And frankly? She deserves them.
More than just musicals
Beyond the singing and the crime drama, 2024 also saw the release of The Absence of Eden. This one was a bit more personal—it was directed by her husband, Marco Perego. She plays Esmee, a woman caught in the harrowing world of the U.S. southern border. It’s a bleak, gritty film. It didn’t get the massive marketing push of a Marvel movie, obviously, but it showed a side of her that's raw and stripped back. No CGI. No space blasters. Just a woman trying to survive.
- Emilia Pérez (The Netflix powerhouse)
- The Absence of Eden (The indie passion project)
- Lioness Season 2 (Technically TV, but movie-quality production)
Wait, I should mention Lioness. I know, it’s a Paramount+ series, but the production value is basically like watching an eight-hour movie. Saldaña returned as Joe in late 2024, and the stakes were way higher than the first season. She’s an executive producer on it, too. You can tell she’s leaning into roles where she has more control over the narrative. She’s playing a character who has to balance being a CIA operative with being a mother and a wife, and it feels like there’s a lot of her own life reflected in that struggle to "have it all."
What happened to the big franchises?
You might be wondering where the aliens went. Well, they're still there, just simmering on the back burner. While Zoe Saldana movies 2024 were mostly about grounded dramas, she spent a good chunk of the year preparing for the future. Avatar: Fire and Ash (the third one) was looming, and Pixar’s Elio got moved around the schedule.
There's a specific kind of bravery in walking away from a "sure thing" to do a Spanish musical about a drug lord. People thought she was crazy. They were wrong. By diversifying her portfolio in 2024, she proved she isn't just a box-office stat. She's a performer with range.
Why this year actually mattered for her career
Most actors hit a ceiling. They get typecast. For Saldaña, the risk was being known forever as "that girl from Avatar." 2024 was the year she smashed that ceiling. She didn't just pick any roles; she picked roles that required her to speak different languages, sing, and tackle heavy political themes like immigration and gender identity.
If you’re looking to catch up on her 2024 run, start with Emilia Pérez on Netflix. It’s the best entry point to see this "new" version of her. Then, if you want something heavier, track down The Absence of Eden. It’s a tough watch but worth it for her performance alone.
Moving forward, it’s clear she’s going to keep balancing these two worlds. She’ll do the $2 billion sequels because, let’s be honest, that’s a great paycheck. But she’s clearly found her voice in these smaller, more intense projects. The "Saldana-ssance" isn't coming—it's already here.
Your Next Steps:
- Watch Emilia Pérez on Netflix to see her award-winning performance.
- Check out Special Ops: Lioness Season 2 on Paramount+ for her best dramatic work in the spy genre.
- Look for The Absence of Eden on VOD platforms if you want a deeper look at her indie range.
