Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera Are Tragic Lovers in the “Carmen” Trailer

True love can bring true pain. The trailer for the new movie version of “Carmen” is here, and it sees Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal slip into the iconic story. Barrera stars as Carmen with Mescal as her love interest in the movie directed by Benjamin Millepied and heading to theaters this spring.

The teaser trailer for the series, released Feb. 22, showcases the gritty world of the movie and previews its tragic romance. The movie is based on Georges Bizet’s famous opera “Carmen” (which some millennials might remember from a very important episode of “Hey Arnold”) but makes some major changes. The action moves from Spain to a desert in Northern Mexico, and Carmen dreams of life in Los Angeles. Mescal plays a former marine, Aidan.

“Carmen” isn’t Barrera’s first musical outing. She previously appeared as Vanessa in 2021’s “In the Heights.” Meanwhile, Mescal is set to flex his musical skills again in the forthcoming “Merrily We Roll Along” film adaptation alongside Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein. Based on the Stephen Sondheim musical of the same name, director Richard Linklater is filming the movie across the span of 20 years, the same time covered by the musical (which starts at the story’s end and works its way backwards).

Director Millepied is most famous for his work as a choreographer. He choreographed and appeared in “Black Swan,” which is how he met wife Natalie Portman.

Ahead, here’s everything we know about “Carmen” so far.