Artists Equity Boards ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ Adaptation Starring Jennifer Lopez; Diego Luna And Tonatiuh To Co-Star

Justin Kroll
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Artists Equity has come on to Kiss of the Spider Woman, serving as the main studio and producer of the feature adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical based on Manuel Puig’s landmark 1976 novel. Diego Luna and Tonatiuh will star in the adaptation as Valentin Arregui and Luis Molina, respectively. They join Jennifer Lopez, who was previously announced in the titular role. Puig’s novel was, of course, previously adapted for the screen by Héctor Babenco. That 1985 version was nominated for four Oscars, with William Hurt winning Best Actor.

The show, which won seven Tony Awards, was written by Terrence McNally with a score by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. The film is scripted and directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon, with Barry Josephson, Tom Kirdahy and Greg Yolen producing alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Artists Equity, which has secured independent financing for the film.

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Michael Joe, Dani Bernfeld and Kevin Halloran will executive produce for Artists Equity alongside Condon on behalf of 1000 Eyes; Lopez and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas for Nuyorican Productions; D. Matt Geller for Josephson Entertainment; with Luna, Pamela Thur, Sam Weisman, Daniel Weisman and Margaux Weisman also aboard as EPs.

The musical is set in an Argentinian prison in 1981, against the backdrop of what is historically referred to as the Guerra Sucia (“Dirty War”) waged by the military dictatorship. Molina is a department store window dresser serving an eight-year sentence after being entrapped by police for allegedly corrupting a minor. To escape the horrors of imprisonment, he imagines a movie starring classic silver screen diva Ingrid Luna (Lopez) as both fashion editor Aurora and the Spider Woman, who kills her prey with a kiss. Molina’s life is upended when forced to share a cell with Marxist revolutionary Valentin, with whom an unlikely bond is formed.

Luna is coming off the Disney+ series Andor, which earned him some of the best reviews of his career as well as Golden Globe and Emmy recognition. He recently wrapped production on Season 2.

Tonatiuh can be seen next in the Netflix thriller Carry On; other credits include the TV series Vida.

In 2023, Artists Equity released its first film Air, starring Damon and Affleck alongside Jason Bateman and Viola Davis. Since then, the studio has produced the documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told for Amazon MGM Studios, and Small Things Like These, which opened this year’s Berlin Film Festival and won the Silver Bear for supporting actress Emily Watson.

Luna is represented by WME. Tonatiuh is represented by Animal Federation.

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