Jennifer Lopez to Star in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Film- Page 32

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/11/25 at 12:14am

The film is now out digitally. 

[BJR]

Posted: 11/11/25 at 10:43am

joevitus said: "I mean I love listening to it, but in terms of appropriateness for their song spots,"Dressing Them Up" is too much of a light, traditional "charm song" for someone in Molina's position, as "I Draw the Line" is similarly musical comedy thinking out of place in that locale with those characters. Real straight men obviously dream abouthot women, but they don't useterms like "big bosomed women." They use a different vernacular.The lyrics of "My First Woman," holdthe odd contradiction of Valentin continuallysaying he remembers her, but then adds "What did she look like? Probably plain." What? He doesn't remember the thing he's supposed to remember so well (this doesn't feel like a Sondheim moment where a character slips up, revealing more about their pysche than they themselves realize). "The Day After That" sounds like a mash-up of "The Bells of St. Sebastian's" from Nine and "One Day More" from Les Mis. None of this makes for bad listening on a cast album. But all of it reads--to me--pretty false for the characters and the situation. I fully acknowledge this is just my own personal opinion."

I ADORE this show, and yet, I absolutely agree. With all of these points. 

To do it on stage now, I think one would find sensibilities changed enough these would be tricky to not be cringe. But on film, it absolutely never possible.

In fact, I've heard many comment that they felt Tonatiuh improves as the film goes on, that he plays it too light and stereotypical at the beginning. Well, I can only imagine if he had sung Dressing Them Up! (Also, Molina's stubborn shallowness/vapidity is part of Puig's story, as it's self-protection.)

[joevitus]

Posted: 11/11/25 at 1:13pm

BJR said: "(Also, Molina's stubborn shallowness/vapidity is part of Puig's story, as it's self-protection.)"

I read an interesting interivew with Puig where he talked about not liking the 1985 movie because Molina was made into such a depressing character. He said, "In the book, the character of Molina is full of joy and life...Hurt created a neurtoic and tortured character who had nothing to do with Molina, who was a very joyful person, among other things, and who did not feel the Calvanistic guilt that was attributed to him in the picture." 

I agree with you that it's a form of self-protection, but I thought Puig's comments were really interesting. 

Updated On: 11/11/25 at 01:13 PM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 11/11/25 at 8:20pm

I swear Tonatiuh's been continuing this a one-person publicity tour for months. They're the main reason I found out the show is now available on SVOD, as well as the international release schedule. 

[binau]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 3:28am

I wanted to love this but ultimately I found the change in tone and changes to the score so significant that I barely recognised the musical anymore. It wasn't just that they 'cut songs' there are radical changes to the characters, story and tone.  

I enjoyed it and happy this exists but I want someone else to have a go at adapting this, which I guess will never happen now :'(. 

Updated On: 11/13/25 at 03:28 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 9:26am

I enjoyed it and happy this exists but I want someone else to have a go at adapting this, which I guess will never happen now :'(. 

The lack of interest in this film adaptation pretty much just squashed any investors from backing any potential revival of this musical adaptation. The Oscar winning 1985 film adaptation will remain the go-to adaptation of Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 9:50am

BrodyFosse123 said: "The lack of interest in this film adaptation pretty much just squashed any investors from backing any potential revival of this musical adaptation. The Oscar winning 1985 film adaptation will remain the go-to adaptation of Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel."

RE: potential future investors, I'm not 100% certain of your prediction (in a maybe/maybe not way). As long as people can remember Chita Rivera's performance, I retain hope. 

As for the "Oscar winning" film from 1985, (and this is pedantic thought, admittedly), the film did not receive any Oscars. William Hurt did.

It was 1985 and it was considered "brave" and "groundbreaking" for a heterosexual male to play Gay. Basically, and IMO, he got a trophy for participation (like in pee-wee sports). I thought his performance was clumsy and completely unauthentic. I hated it.

But, 'ya know, "Thanks for trying"... Here's a trophy for your efforts.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 1:59pm

I doubt it'll ever see a Broadway stage again, but I can certainly hope it renews enough interest for a revival in the West End, or at least more regional productions.

[BJR]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 4:03pm

everythingtaboo said: "I doubt it'll ever see a Broadway stage again, but I can certainly hope it renews enough interest for a revival in theWest End, or at least more regional productions."

You're not going to see regionals any time soon as they've been trying to raise funds for a Bway revival. 

Very curious to see if that still is true though...

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 4:42pm

everythingtaboo said: "I doubt it'll ever see a Broadway stage again, but I can certainly hope it renews enough interest for a revival in the West End, or at least more regional productions."

A U.K. tour is actually set to launch this spring.
https://playbill.com/article/layton-williams-and-george-blagden-to-star-in-u-k-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-revival

Updated On: 11/13/25 at 04:42 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 4:45pm

BJR said: "everythingtaboo said: "I doubt it'll ever see a Broadway stage again, but I can certainly hope it renews enough interest for a revival in the West End, or at least more regional productions."

You're not going to see regionals any time soon as they've been trying to raise funds for a Bway revival.

Very curious to see if that still is true though..."

It's probably more likely that Spider Woman would be revived by Encores! or Roundabout Theatre Company.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 8:24pm

binau said: "I wanted to love this but ultimately I found the change in tone and changes to the score so significant that I barely recognised the musical anymore. It wasn't just that they 'cut songs' there are radical changes to the characters, story and tone.

I enjoyed it and happy this exists but I want someone else to have a go at adapting this, which I guess will never happen now :'(."

I certainly felt a bit strange--I know the stage musical so well, that when I first watched the movie I felt an odd disconnect because it felt so different but also familiar?

At any rate, the thing is if this movie hadn't been made, I really doubt a *different* movie would have been made, so it's not like "well NOW no one will do a faithful film version" because there wasn't much change of that ever happening.  (Or maybe we'd end up with a bizarre movie by Riverdale creator, and book writer for American Psyho, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa who I can only assume is a big fan since he built an episode of the failed spin off, Katy Keane, around the musical...)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/13/25 at 8:27pm

John Adams said: "
It was 1985 and it was considered "brave" and "groundbreaking" for a heterosexual male to play Gay. Basically, and IMO, he got a trophy for participation (like in pee-wee sports). I thought his performance was clumsy and completely unauthentic. I hated it.

But, 'ya know, "Thanks for trying"... Here's a trophy for your efforts."

Agreed, and as mentioned above, Puig wasn't a fan either.  Honestly, I don't think this movie musical will really have an effect one way or the other as to if a Broadway revival would be done (OK, if it had surprised everyone and been a genuine box office hit MAYBE that would push things forward, but I don't think the reverse is true.)

 

Updated On: 11/15/25 at 08:27 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 12:54am

EricMontreal22 said: "Or maybe we'd end up with a bizarre movie by Riverdale creator, and book writer for American Psyho, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa who I can only assume is a big fan since he built an episode of the failed spin off, Katy Keane, around the musical..."

Oh, please, please no. 

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 4:00am

I purchased a digital copy last night, and watched the film again.  I enjoyed it even more than the first time.  Tonatiuh and Diego, or whatever the rough trade's name was were excellent. And I will say, Jennifer was good too.  She was probably better in this than in anything she has done. Granted she is no Chita Rivera nor even Vanessa Williams (who was fab and has articulation for daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays), but J-ho was pretty darn good.

I think J-Lo still should have carried her butt to that Savannah Film Festival with pride and gotten her little award.  Sometimes we have to get over our ego.  This film did not do well, NO ONE KNEW OF IT. There was no budget and no advertising and no word of mouth.   My friends knew nothing or heard nothing about it until I started "advertising it" and dragged them to the theater (where we were the only guests).  This was my favorite stage musical, so I had to see it.  

The film was overly glossy and "pretty", but it was good. I felt, somehow, on Broadway  the prison scenes played out as more violent and dark, and then Valentin had enough of Molina and went the F off on him (I Draw The Line -  bitch will YOU EVER SHUT UP).  It seemed like this Valentin was softer from the beginning?  The prison seemed softer, boys were out crocheting in the yard and playing mandolin love songs and such...

All I know is Tonatiuh was otherworldly. If he is lucky enough to get another role in the future - as he should - I think he has a chance at being a big star.

Updated On: 11/14/25 at 04:00 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 8:37am

Jordan Catalano said: "The film is now out digitally."

Currently, AppleTV and Amazon offer the options of PVOD rental (~$15) or purchase (~$20). 

RE: streaming, this info from: https://scorpiolikeyou.com/news/jennifer-lopezs-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-is-headed-to-streaming-heres-when-and-where-to-watch_a133

So when does it stream? Here is the likely path

There is no streaming date yet. But based on how Lionsgate typically windows its releases, expect a Starz debut first. After that, there is a separate multi-year pact Lionsgate signed with Amazon that kicks in starting in 2026, giving Prime Video an exclusive window after Starz and the ability to choose titles from Lionsgate's slate. Translation: once the Starz window is done, this could land on Prime Video — emphasis on could. The timing will depend on the film's digital performance and how awards season shakes out.

[joevitus]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 9:44am

It's already available on Prime Video.

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 10:17am

joevitus said: "It's already available on Prime Video."

Yes, for PVOD. "Currently, AppleTV and Amazon offer the options of PVOD rental (~$15) or purchase (~$20)."

But the film will not become "free" to view (as part of having an Amazon, or another platform's  subscription) until later. "The timing will depend on the film's digital performance and how awards season shakes out."

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure I'm using the correct terminology when I write, "PVOD". The terminology has changed to be defined more specifically from when everything first fell under the single umbrella of "VOD". The terms are better explained HERE.

What I'm waiting for(and what fits my budget) is what I think is called an "SVOD" release. 

Updated On: 11/14/25 at 10:17 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 10:28am

joevitus said: "It's already available on Prime Video."

Yeah, it’s available to rent or buy but it’s not streaming as part of Prime Video’s free-to-watch options.

[SeanD2]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 12:24pm

John Adams said: "joevitus said: "It's already available on Prime Video."

Yes, for PVOD. "Currently, AppleTV and Amazon offer the options of PVOD rental (~$15) or purchase (~$20)."

But the film will not become "free" to view (as part of having an Amazon, or another platform's subscription) until later. "The timing will depend on the film's digital performance and how awards season shakes out."

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure I'm using the correct terminology when I write, "PVOD". The terminology has changed to be defined more specifically from when everything first fell under the single umbrella of "VOD". The terms are better explained HERE.

What I'm waiting for(and what fits my budget) is what Ithinkis called an "SVOD" release."

There's also AVOD (or sometimes ASVOD) which is Ad Supported VOD via platforms like Tubi or PlutoTV which don't require a subscription. Basic breakdown is:
PVOD = Premium VOD = $19.99 rental
VOT = Video On Demand = $4.99 rental
SVOD = Subscription VOD = included with paid subscription to service
AVOD = Ad Supported VOD = included with free service

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 1:02pm

SeanD2 said: "There's also AVOD (or sometimes ASVOD) which is Ad Supported VOD via platforms like Tubi or PlutoTV which don't require a subscription. Basic breakdown is:
PVOD = Premium VOD = $19.99 rental
VOT = Video On Demand = $4.99 rental
SVOD = Subscription VOD = included with paid subscription to service
AVOD = Ad Supported VOD = included with free service"

Thanks for the more complete list of categories!

I doubt it's an "official" category, but there's also another one that I call, "ASSVOD" (...the acronym is exceptionally fitting, IMO...): Ad Supported Subscription Video On Demand. 

...basically that's Amazon's current, and blatantly hyper-greedy model where you pay for a subscription, but the vast majority of entertainment is ad-supported. 

...I can't even find the "Free To Me" filter button anymore...

[Daisy Crumpler]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 2:36pm

I'm so sad and disappointed in how little fanfare there was for this film.

I'm a complete civilian, but seems like the producers went out of their way to give the film a wider theatrical release instead of partnering with a streaming service. The musical numbers definitely deserve to be seen on a big screen, but I wonder if they had partnered with Netflix or Amazon initially, would there have been a larger ad campaign? Streaming services will sometimes put a film in theatres for limited release (usually for awards contention) before making it available at home. Maybe the push for wide release in cinemas was actually the wrong move?

Of course, at the end of the day, it's all about money so who knows. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/14/25 at 4:46pm

Daisy Crumpler said: "I'm so sad and disappointed in how little fanfare there was for this film.

I'm a complete civilian, but seems like the producers went out of their way to give the film a wider theatrical release instead of partnering with a streaming service. The musical numbers definitely deserve to be seen on a big screen, but I wonder if they had partnered with Netflix or Amazon initially, would there have been a larger ad campaign? Streaming services will sometimes put a film in theatres for limited release (usually for awards contention) before making it available at home. Maybe the push for wide release in cinemas was actually the wrong move?

Of course, at the end of the day, it's all about money so who knows."

As Bill Condon recently talked about in an interview with Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood, "So many movies are made by streamers and they don't like musicals. They tried, it didn't work for them. Netflix famously has this metric that, you know, 'when do people turn it off?'. There are people who would stumble onto a movie, not know it was a musical, the first number occurs, and off. Not everybody, but there's enough people that it scares them away from making them. So that's a huge kind of area where they're not getting made." Pete then responded with "Musicals should be seen in a theater, first of all. It isn't designed for streaming. Especially the sound, everything you pour into this from a technical standpoint, is great to see with people."

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 8:15am

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "As Bill Condon recently talked about in an interview with Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood, 'So many movies are made by streamers and they don't like musicals. They tried, it didn't work for them. Netflix famously has this metric that, you know, 'when do people turn it off?'."

I don't know that I agree w/Mr. Condon.

"Hamilton" did very well for Disney+. "West Side Story" was a pretty anticipated streamer, and so was "Wicked" for both Peacock and Amazon.

I know that for myself, I will CXL the free subscription I get to Paramount+ via my Walmart+ account and swap it out for Peacock (also free via Walmart+; you get a choice between Paramount+ and Peacock) in anticipation of "Wicked: For Good". "Waitress" has been on my HBOMax/(hulu) "My List" since it first became streamable.

The Netflix metric (subscriber behavior) that Condon cites is certainly real, but I disagree with his implication that it only occurs regarding musicals. He could have substituted any genre of film that Netflix offers and (realistically) applied it in the same way.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/15/25 at 8:52am

John Adams said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "As Bill Condon recently talked about in an interview with Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood, 'So many movies are made by streamers and they don't like musicals. They tried, it didn't work for them. Netflix famously has this metric that, you know, 'when do people turn it off?'."

I don't know that I agree w/Mr. Condon.

"Hamilton" did very well for Disney+. "West Side Story" was a pretty anticipated streamer, and so was "Wicked" for both Peacock and Amazon.

The Netflix metric (subscriber behavior) that Condon cites is certainly real, but I disagree with his implication that it only occurs regarding musicals. He could have substituted any genre of film that Netflix offers and (realistically) applied it in the same way."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hamilton came in at #3 of the Top 20 SVOD movie debuts of 2020 in their 7-day launch by Screen Engine’s count while The Prom came in at #7. I remember when Tick, Tick...BOOM! debuted on Netflix the following year, it was in the Top 10. Matilda was the number one movie on Netflix when it premiered on Christmas Day in 2022. Wicked was in the top 10 most streamed movies on Peacock for a while. Not to mention that the capture of the West End production of Frozen was in the top 10 most streamed content on Disney+ in its first few weeks. Granted, we'll probably never know how many subscribers watched those from start to finish.

I think Condon was mainly referring to people turning off movies on Netflix after they realize that it's a musical as example. He didn't intend to imply that it's the only genre where it occurs.