The stage-to-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway hit, set in 1980s Argentina, stars Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh — and hits theaters on October 10.
LOS ANGELES, June 6 – Roadside Attractions has officially unveiled the trailer for Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bill Condon’s cinematic adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and breakout star Tonatiuh, the film is slated for an October 10 theatrical release—positioning it firmly in the heart of awards season.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, was quickly acquired by Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and LD Entertainment in a high-profile North American rights deal. Based on Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel—famously adapted into a 1985 Oscar-winning film—the story unfolds inside a grim Argentine prison in 1983, under military rule.
At its emotional core is the unlikely bond between two cellmates: Molina (played by Tonatiuh), a flamboyant gay window dresser imprisoned for “indecency,” and Valentin (Diego Luna), a hardened political dissident. To escape their bleak surroundings, Molina conjures the glittering world of his favorite screen diva, Ingrid Luna—brought vividly to life through the magnetic presence of Jennifer Lopez.
The trailer teases the contrasting visual styles of the gritty prison reality and the technicolor dreamscape of Ingrid’s Old Hollywood musical numbers. Lopez, portraying the glamorous fictional star within Molina’s imagination, performs ten elaborate musical numbers composed by Broadway legends John Kander and Fred Ebb, with the book by Terrence McNally.
“It’s brutal,” Lopez told Deadline about the production. “It’s an indie film. We didn’t have the time that most movie musicals have, but we pulled it off.” Condon, known for directing Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast, also wrote the script and chose to shoot the film like a classic MGM musical, utilizing long, continuous takes.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is an Artists Equity production, and according to industry insiders, it was one of the most talked-about titles at Park City this year. The visual ambition, the raw emotion, and the musical grandeur have all fueled early awards buzz.
The film marks another strategic play by Roadside, which last year acquired The Last Showgirl from the Toronto Film Festival and successfully generated awards-season momentum for Pamela Anderson. Their latest collaboration with Lionsgate and LD Entertainment on Spider Woman suggests they’re hoping for a similar trajectory.
With its bold themes of love, repression, and fantasy amidst political turmoil, and with Lopez taking center stage in what may be her most daring musical performance yet, Kiss of the Spider Woman is set to command attention when it hits theaters this fall.