Is Netflix's Emilia Pérez, inspired by true events? Here's what you need to know

Emilia Pérez has garnered praise from both critics and audiences since its October 25 premiere, and the much-anticipated film is now available on Netflix for home viewing.

Crafted by the Oscar-nominated French director Jacques Audiard, this musical drama traces the life quests of four Mexican women seeking joy in their lives.

At the dark heart of the narrative is Emilia, a cartel boss who enlists a legal expert to assist her in staging her own death through gender-affirming surgery.

Starring Karla Sofía Gascón as the titular Emilia, Zoe Saldaña as lawyer Rita Mora Castro, with Selena Gomez playing Jessi Del Monte, and Adriana Paz as Epifania Flores making up an impressive ensemble.

The Mirror reports Gascón described it to Netflix as "An action movie that's not an action movie, a drama that's not a drama, a comedy that's not a comedy".

The intrigue surrounding the musical leads to questions about its roots and whether it is drawn from real-life incidents. Here is what you need to know about the inspiration behind Emilia Pérez.

Emilia Pérez is not adapted from any true events.

Jacques Audiard has opened up about his creative spark for the movie's storyline, which was described by Rolling Stone as a 'Transgender Cartel-gangster musical'.

In conversation with the esteemed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Audiard divulged how a brief excerpt from a 2018 French novella ignited the concept for this genre-twisting tale.

He shared: "I have a friend, Boris Razon, who's a novelist. I read his novels. I read [one], it's called Écoute, and about halfway through the book, the central character, [who is] a lawyer, meets a gang leader who asks him to help him make a transition and change his gender."

He went on to say: "I turn the pages