Salma Hayek, the 47-year-old Latina actress famous for her roles in movies such as the 1996 Hollywood adaptation of Quentin Tarantino’s dark screenplay, From Dusk Til Dawn, and, most recently, Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2.

Now, the Mexican-born wife and mother is taking on three more films: A Three Dog Life, The Septembers of Shiraz, and Everly.

A Three Dog Life, a film based on the bestselling memoir by Abigail Thomas, will co-star Hayek and John Travolta, both of the stars’ first major roles in some time. It is being co-produced by J. Todd Harris and Clark Peterson and directed by Nick Guthe.

A Three Dog Life is based on the story told by Abigail Thomas (Hayek) whose husband, Rich (Travolta), is tragically hit by a car and forced to live in an institution. Thomas moves her entire life from Manhattan to a small country town to be closer to her incapacitated husband.

The book version of the new film was an instant hit when it was first published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2006, and was named one of the Los Angeles Times Favorite Nonfiction Books of the Year and a Washington Post Book World Best Book of the Year. In September 2013, the memoir again climbed the New York Times Bestsellers List, peaking at #2.

Harris and Peterson both recently discussed the film, which is currently being shopped at Berlin’s European Film Market.

“Nick’s adaptation of Abigail’s emotional memoir is incredibly moving,” Harris says. “It’s rare to find such dramatic and honest material.”

Harris’ co-producer, Clark Peterson, added, “With Nick directing this cast, the ingredients are in place for a poignant and engrossing movie.”

Hayek will also be starring in yet another poignant film, The Septembers of Shiraz. This book-turned-movie is also loosely based on autobiographical events; author Delia Sofer was 10 when her family fled Iran during its uprising. The Septembers of Shiraz tells the story of a Jewish family trying to escape the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1981.

In the thriller, Hayek will play an imprisoned gem dealer’s wife; the other major players in Shiraz are Hayek’s jailed husband, daughter, and United States-situated son, and Hayek’s attempt to flee the war-torn nation with her daughter and husband.

It is being produced by Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, and Heidi Jo Markel, and directed by Wayne Blair.

Production is hoping to commence in April.

Hayek will be appearing in another film that is also being shopped around the EFM; Everly , an action-thriller directed by Joe Lynch, is co-produced and financed by a new Singapore company, Vega, Baby!, as well as Crime Scene Pictures and Anonymous Content. Dimension and Radius have already purchased the American rights to the film set for release later this year.

Everly tells the story of a woman being hunted by her mob boss’ ex’s associates, and her pursuit to evade the assailants, alongside her daughter and mother.

Main image courtesy Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons.