Forty years after the Brazilian version by Héctor Babenco, Kiss of the Spider Woman finds new life in the hands of director Bill Condon. The film adaptation of the Broadway musical, still without a confirmed release date for Latin America, arrives with Jennifer Lopez in the lead role. The idea now is to be a visual experience that speaks both to the classics of Hollywood and to contemporary issues.
During the press conference for Golden Globe voters, Lopez revealed that playing Ingrid Luna was like fulfilling a personal dream. “It’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing, a movie musical. I was living a fantasy for myself. It’s the same way Molina had this fantasy in his mind,” confessed the artist, who also served as executive producer of the project.
The movie presents Lopez in multiple facets. She plays both actress Ingrid Luna and Aurora, the character in the film within the film. Plus, the enigmatic Spider Woman. Twelve musical numbers were filmed on a tight schedule, demanding all of her experience as a performer. “We didn’t have a year and a half like some musicals do. It was really like racing against time,” Lopez recalled.
Kiss of the Spider Woman and the classic musicals
Bill Condon chose a cinematic approach that pays tribute to classic musicals. He filmed the numbers in long single takes, in the style of Fred Astaire. “I hired Jennifer because I knew she could do the numbers from beginning to end without stopping,” explained the director. He had to convince the star to give up traditional coverage shots.
The discovery of the film is Tonatiuh, who plays Molina with a sensitivity that impressed the crew. The actor lost 20 kilos for the role. He also studied both Manuel Puig’s original novel and film icons like Errol Flynn and Montgomery Clift. “I wanted to be inspired by people like Gene Kelly, and it was fun to then juxtapose that with Molina,” he revealed.
Diego Luna completes the main trio as Valentin, bringing the dramatic weight needed to balance the musical fantasy. According to colleagues, the Mexican actor was “the glue” that held the movie together, even while facing his own fears regarding the musical numbers. The chemistry between Luna and Tonatiuh was built during three intense weeks of filming in prison, shooting between six and eleven pages a day.
Between Babenco and Condon
Condon acknowledges the influence of Babenco’s film. Especially the impact it had on him as a young gay man watching William Hurt, at the peak of his career, play Molina. “It was extraordinary, it really was. You have no idea. It was so rare back then,” he recalled. However, this new version is closer to the original novel. After all, it explores aspects of the protagonists’ relationship that were taboo in the 1980s.
The production bet on a predominantly Latino cast, a political and artistic choice championed by Lopez. “Bill was very emphatic about everyone being Latino in the cast, and other versions didn’t have that, even though that’s where it takes place,” highlighted the actress. For her, representation has the same impact Rita Moreno had in West Side Story on her own career.
The movie arrives at a moment when issues of gender identity and sexual diversity are at the center of the American public debate. “We wrote this three years ago, long before the election season,” explained Condon. “But it became clear that trans people would be demonized, that they would be part of the conversation.” The team believes the story’s message of humanity and transcendent love is more relevant than ever.
The production featured costumes by Colleen Atwood, who worked closely with Lopez. The idea was to create specific looks for each character. The golden dress used in one sequence weighed 25 kilos, demanding not only technical skill but also considerable physical endurance from the star. “It’s like Ginger Rogers said: ‘I do everything Fred Astaire does, only backwards and in high heels,’” joked Lopez.
