If you're not under the age of 15 or don't know anyone who is, you probably are totally unaware that Selena Gomez is, like, really famous-- like dating Justin Bieber famous. (If you don't know who Justin Bieber is, just move on to the next article-- I won't judge you). Gomez rose to fame the same way Miley Cyrus did before her, starring on a Disney Channel show-- The Wizards of Waverly Place-- and releasing albums on top of it. Her movie career hasn't been quite as robust, with movies like Ramona & Beezus not exactly making her a star, but now the 18-year-old is hoping a move toward darker material might do the trick.

According to Deadline she'll star for Universal in 13 Reasons Why, an adaptation of Jay Asher's novel about a high school girl who kills herself and leaves a series of cassette tapes that explains to 13 different people how they led to her death. Yeah, this is definitely not Disney Channel material. Jennifer O'Kieffe will be adapting the book for a director yet to be chosen, but Gomez will be the focal point-- Deadline describes the film as a "star vehicle" for the young actress. Gomez is playing the girl who killed herself, but she apparently figures heavily into the story thanks to flashbacks.

Good on Gomez for tackling material that's actually age-appropriate-- the book is a major hit among middle and high-schoolers--but I do wonder if she ought to be taking her image so dark when nobody of legal drinking age even knows who she is. She'll avoid getting caught in the Miley Cyrus trap of "scandalizing" everyone by doing normal teenage behavior… but she may also ruin the brand recognition she's already got. I guess if nothing else she can always fall back on that Bieber relationship.