At a special IMAX screening of Spring Breakers in New York, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco made a surprise appearance, delighting the hundreds of fans gathered to watch A24’s wild, neon-soaked crime drama on the nation’s second-largest screen.
The audience erupted into cheers as Gomez and Blanco unexpectedly walked in, with one stunned moviegoer exclaiming, “Oh my God. I need to call everybody I know.”
“Hi guys,” Gomez greeted the crowd. “Did you guys enjoy one of my favorite movies ever?”
She then pulled out her phone to snap a selfie with the enthusiastic audience at AMC Lincoln Square, promising to send it to Spring Breakers director “Harmony [Korine] and the girls,” referring to her co-stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine.
During their brief visit, Gomez and Blanco treated the crowd to a preview of “Bluest Flame,” a club-style track from their upcoming album I Said I Love You First.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco (Photo: Getty Images)As an added surprise, they handed out USB drives loaded with the unreleased song, giving attendees an exclusive first listen.
“The label is probably gonna shoot us, but, thanks guys,” Blanco joked. As the duo exited the theater, he encouraged fans, “Listen to that shit.”
Gomez starred in Harmony Korine’s R-rated 2013 crime comedy alongside James Franco, Hudgens, Benson, Rachel Korine, and Gucci Mane.
At the time, she was 20 years old, and the film’s release at the Venice Film Festival in 2012 was widely viewed as a bold departure from her Disney Channel roots, having led Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012.
In a 2024 interview with Variety, Gomez reflected on her experience with Spring Breakers, saying she remains “proud” of the film “despite its uniqueness.” When the movie first debuted, she told The New York Times, “It’s as far as I could go at this point in my life and career.”
“It’s me kind of taking baby steps. But I know that people will judge my involvement in the movie as a whole. I’m prepared to accept that,” she said.
