Video: Jennifer Lopez, Tonatiuh, & More on Bringing KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN to Life

Cast and crew from Kiss of the Spider Woman recently sat down with The Academy to discuss the new adaptation of the Broadway musical. Participants included writer/director Bill Condon, stars Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh, cinematographer Tobias Schliessler, production designer Scott Chambliss, and casting director Tiffany Little Canfield, with Jenelle Riley serving as the moderator.

During the conversation, Jennifer Lopez recalled her excitement upon reading the script and receiving the offer to play the three characters of Ingrid Luna, Aurora, and The Spider Woman. "I feel like I've been waiting to do a movie musical my whole life," she shared. "I've auditioned for musicals throughout my career once or twice, and I've seen a bunch of them get made, and I'm always like, 'Why didn't I know about that?'" The performer had previously revealed that she auditioned for Evita, Chicago, and Nine.

The group also talked about the importance of finding the right actor for the part of Luis Molina, which ultimately went to Tonatiuh. "I think that the fallacy of living in one area of the gender spectrum is useless," Tonatiuh explained. "Being able to showcase everything from Kendall's masculinity to Molina's full feminine side and everything in between is not just aligned with my personal ethos as a human, but also as an artist."

Check out the full interview, which also goes into detail about the visual palette of the film, the use of hair and costumes to tell the story, and more. Kiss of the Spider Woman premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and will arrive in theaters on October 10, 2025.

About Kiss of the Spider Woman

Bill Condon’s new adaptation is based on the acclaimed 1976 novel Kiss of the Spider Woman by Argentinian writer Manuel Puig and the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name by the multiple Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Master Class, Ragtime) and composer/lyricist team John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago). The original musical debuted on Broadway in 1993, going on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. Several of the performers also took home awards, including Chita Rivera.

Valentín (Luna/">Diego Luna), a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). Find out what critics thought of the movie here.

Written for the screen and directed by Bill Condon, this visually stunning and emotionally charged adaptation stars Emmy Award® nominee Luna/">Diego Luna (Andor, Y tu mamá también), Tonatiuh (Carry On, Promised Land), and Emmy®, Grammy® and Golden Globes Award-nominated superstar Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers, Out of Sight), who also serves as an executive producer alongside Luna/">Diego Luna. Produced by Barry Josephson, p.g.a., Tom Kirdahy, p.g.a., and Greg Yolen, p.g.a.