Jennifer Lopez is connected to star in a function adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” written and directed by “Dreamgirls” filmmaker Bill Condon, Variety has confirmed with a supply near the manufacturing. The music is by legends John Kander and Fred Ebb, primarily based on the novel by Manuel Puig and the e book of the musical by Terrence McNally.
The musical is about in an Argentinian jail in 1981. Lopez would play the titular position, a fantasy girl named Aurora created by Luis Molina, a homosexual hairdresser serving an eight-year sentence for allegedly corrupting a minor. To escape the horrors of his imprisonment, Molina imagines motion pictures starring Aurora as a traditional silver display screen diva, together with a job of the spider girl, who kills her prey with a kiss. Molina’s life is upended when a Marxist, Valentin Arregui Paz, is introduced into his cell, and the 2 kind an unlikely bond.
The new film, which is independently financed, is presently trying to find an unknown to play Molina. According to a casting breakdown obtained by Variety, the position “presents as an overtly queer and effeminate homosexual man, however could also be on the non-binary/trans femme spectrum.” Rehearsals would begin in February with a plan to start filming in April in New Jersey.
The two earlier diversifications of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” — the 1993 musical, and a 1985 function movie adaptation of Puig’s novel from director Héctor Babenco — each received extensive essential acclaim and main awards consideration. William Hurt received the Oscar for finest actor for taking part in Molina. And the musical received seven Tony Awards, together with for finest musical and for all three performers: Chita Rivera, Brent Carver and Anthony Crivello.
Condon has turn into one of many preeminent filmmakers of the film musical: He wrote the screenplay for 2002’s “Chicago,” wrote and directed 2006’s “Dreamgirls,” directed 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and co-wrote the screenplay for 2017’s “The Greatest Showman.” He additionally directed each elements of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” and most not too long ago directed common collaborator Ian McKellen within the 2019 thriller “The Good Liar.” He received an Oscar for his screenplay for his 1998 movie with McKellen, “Gods and Monsters.”
Lopez — whose ninth studio album, “This Is Me… Now,” is set to debut early subsequent 12 months — is among the most profitable multi-hyphenates within the trade, launching her movie profession by enjoying the late Tejano star Selena in 1997’s “Selena.” Incredibly, nonetheless, this is able to be her first position in a full-fledged musical.
Barry Josephson, Tom Kirdahy, Greg Yolen and Matt Geller are producing the movie, and Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina are government producing on behalf of Nuyorican Productions.
Matt Donnelly, Haley Kluge and Marc Malkin contributed to this story.
