Jennifer Lopez to lead revival of Babenco's 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', four decades later

Do you recall Hector Babenco's renowned film, "Kiss of the Spider Woman", from nearly four decades ago? Whether you're a die-hard cinephile or not, this classic tale is set to return with Jennifer Lopez taking the lead role. Here's what we know about the project so far.

The original plot revolved around two cellmates in an American prison. One was a homosexual prisoner, serving time for 'immoral conduct', while the other was held as a political prisoner. The former used the creation of romantic stories as an escape from their grim reality, as the latter, more pragmatic individual grappled with his unfamiliar circumstance. As their confinement persisted, they gradually formed a deeper understanding of one another.

In 1986, the film orchestrated by the Argentine director was honoured with an Oscar nomination for Leonard Schrader's screenplay. Schrader, brother to the acclaimed Paul Schrader, noted for his scripts for Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull", as well as his directorial work on "American Gigolo", starring Richard Gere. Leonard Schrader's notable skills also extended to writing in Japanese, and before this collaboration with Babenco, he worked alongside Sidney Pollack on "Yakuza".

In Hector Babenco's filmography, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" stood as a prominent title. It garnered considerable acclaim, including four Academy Awards nominations (of which William Hurt won for Best Actor), recognition at the Cannes Festival, and an equal number of Golden Globe nominations. Sharing the screen with Hurt were Raúl Juliá, known for "The Addams Family", and Sônia Braga.

According to Variety magazine, the new version will be directed by Bill Condon, known for "The Fifth Estate", parts 1 and 2 of "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn", and "Beauty and the Beast". The film is set in 1981, within an Argentine Penitentiary. Jennifer Lopez is slated to portray the principal character, Aurora, a fictitious character invented by Luis Molina, a hairdresser serving his sentence. Lopez recently featured in the romantic comedies "Shotgun Wedding" and "Marry Me", along with the action flick "The Mother".

Variety divulged that casting is ongoing for the successor to William Hurt's character. In the new version, Luis is set to be an openly gay, non-binary or transgender person. Preliminary auditions are set for February 2024, with production set to commence in April in New Jersey.