“Kiss of the Spider Woman” has returned.
A new version of the story, based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig and the 1990 musical, is headed to theaters this fall after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. And you can get your first look at the movie, which stars Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna and Tonatiuh and was written and directed by Bill Condon, thanks to the brand-new trailer.
The original synopsis from Sundance reads: “Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.”
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” was easily one of the starriest and most sought-after films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with the rights eventually going to Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions and LD Entertainment, in a joint distribution pact. They settled on a prime Oct. 10 slot, easing into awards season.
The reviews of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” out of Sundance were all over the place, with critics mostly agreeing that the trio of central performances are outstanding. Lopez has long sought an Oscar nomination; the closest she has come in recent memory was as the lead in the stripper crime drama “Hustlers” in 2019. Luna is coming off the critically acclaimed “Star Wars” series “Andor” and this is only Tonatiuh’s second film after Netflix smash “Carry-On.”
The original novel “Kiss of the Spider Woman” was adapted into a more straightforward drama in 1985 by Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco, with Raul Julia as the revolutionary and William Hurt as Molina. It won Hurt a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and later the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Could this new “Kiss of the Spider Woman” follow in its footsteps?
Find out when “Kiss of the Spider Woman” arrives in theaters on Oct. 10.
