Jennifer Lopez Set to Star in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” Movie Musical
The 'Hustlers' actress has been cast in the new film which will be directed by 'Dreamgirls' director Bill Condon
Jennifer Lopez is gearing up for her first movie musical!
According to multiple media outlets, the actress and singer is set to star in the upcoming movie musical version of Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Variety confirmed the casting of the Hustlers actress in the new film which will be directed by Bill Condon — whose credits include Dreamgirls and Chicago — per a source close to the production.
The movie is an adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Terrence McNally, which in turn was based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig. The story was previously adapted for the 1985 film starring William Hurt and Raul Julia.
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The outlet reported that Lopez will portray Aurora, a fantasy woman conjured up by Luis Molina, a gay hairdresser imprisoned in Argentina circa 1981 along with Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist. As a form of escapism during his sentence, Molina dreams of Aurora in classic movies, including her role as a spider woman.
The Broadway musical adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman — which starred Chita Rivera in the title role — earned seven Tony Awards, including best musical per Entertainment Weekly. Rivera was later succeeded by singer and actress Vanessa Williams in the Broadway run.
Variety further reported that the movie musical production of Kiss of the Spider Woman is currently seeking an unknown to play Molina, adding that the role — per a casting breakdown — “presents as an openly queer and effeminate gay man, but may be on the non-binary/trans femme spectrum.” Filming, according to the outlet, is scheduled to take place in New Jersey from April 2024.
Lopez’s role in this new version of Kiss of the Spider Woman will mark her debut in a movie musical, EW added.
Related: Jennifer Lopez Says Women Get Sexier as They Get Older: 'Boundaries Don't Exist for Me'
Keeping herself busy, Lopez, 54, is also set to release her upcoming album This Is Me… Now, a sequel to her 2002's This Is Me… Then, on Feb. 16. The new record “chronicles the emotional, spiritual and psychological journey that she has taken over the past two decades," per a press release.
In a teaser for This Is Me... Now unveiled last month, Lopez is seen revisiting an old letter before throwing it into a fireplace. The star narrates the clip which includes the words, “When I was a little girl, when someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always… in love.” The album's release follows her July 2022 marriage to Ben Affleck, to whom the previous album was dedicated.
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