The feature adaptation of the Broadway musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring Jennifer Lopez and directed by Bill Condon, earned raves at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, but word on the sale of the film has been pretty quiet since the festivities wrapped up…until now. With the film having huge awards season potential, a studio has now entered the chat to give the movie a domestic distribution deal that will allow the film to have the full theatrical experience.
Per Deadline, Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate and LD Entertainment are in the process of acquiring the domestic rights to Kiss of the Spider Woman. Details of the deal are still being ironed out and need to be finalized, but all reports suggest that it’s all coming together nicely for the buzzed-about project. Stuart Ford’s AGC is handling foreign sales of the film at EFM while WME and CAA Media Finance co-repped the U.S. rights.
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‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Has Earned Rave Reviews & Oscar Buzz
Kiss of the Spider Woman earned instant Oscar buzz following its Sundance debut, particularly for a strong supporting turn for Lopez and for the first big screen lead of relative newcomer Tonatiuh. Condon is no stranger to big-screen musicals, as he directed 2006’s Dreamgirls to awards-season success and solid box office, and he also helmed the live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. He also, for good measure, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for the big screen adaptation of Chicago, a film that went on to win Best Picture.
The major appeal of Kiss of the Spider Woman is Lopez herself, with many early reviews saying she’s a lock for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination as Ingrid Luna, the favorite actress of Tonatiuh’s character, Luis Molina. While together as jail cellmates, Luis tries to lift ValentÃn’s (Diego Luna) spirits with stories about Ingrid Luna and her movie musicals, which are brought to life through Lopez’s portrayal.
Lopez and Condon were instrumental in getting the project off the ground, and it’s another opportunity for the actress to attract Oscar voters following her big snub for 2019’s Hustlers. Despite landing Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Screen Actors Guild, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Awards, Lopez missed out on an Oscar nod. This could be another big shot to put her in the conversation again and all the signs are pointing in that direction. Following its Sundance debut, Kiss of the Spider Woman currently sits at an impressive 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Roadside Attractions is also a good fit following their release of Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl out of the Toronto Film Festival, which created significant awards-season buzz for Pamela Anderson in her career-defining turn in the film. She earned a Golden Globe Best Actress nomination and a SAG Female Lead Actress nomination for her efforts, while co-star Jamie Lee Curtis earned BAFTA and SAG nominations for her supporting work. If anything, Roadside Attractions knows how to start an awards season campaign, and they proved that on a movie much smaller than Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Source: Deadline
Kiss of the Spider Woman
2.5
/5
- Release Date
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January 26, 2025
- Runtime
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128 minutes
- Director
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Bill Condon
- Writers
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Bill Condon, Manuel Puig
- Producers
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Barry Josephson, Ben Affleck, Benny Medina, Diego Luna, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Halloran, Matt Damon, Sam Weisman, Greg Yolen, Michael Joe, Tom Kirdahy, Pamela Thur, Dani Bernfeld
Cast
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Tonatiuh Elizarraraz
Luis Molina
