Jennifer Lopez Made a Dramatic Career Decision That Could Set Her Up for Oscar Success

Kristyn Burtt
·2 min read
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Now that Jennifer Lopez is happy in love with Ben Affleck and releasing new music in January, she’s focusing on her movie career — and she means business! The 54-year-old superstar is going to star in her first movie musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, with director Bill Condon, whose work landed both Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago) an Oscar.

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The storyline is pretty wild for anyone who isn’t familiar with the 1993 hit Broadway show by John Kander and Fred Ebb. It’s about Valentin, a revolutionary, and Molina, a gay hairdresser, are cellmates in an Argentinean prison in 1981, where Molina’s fantasies about the actress Aurora — this would be Lopez’s role — are their only escape from the horrors of their captivity. According to Variety, the pivotal role of Luis Molina, the hairstylist, has not been cast yet, but the producers are actively looking for the right person. Lopez will be rehearsing for the musical in February with filming set to begin in New Jersey in April.

The Broadway musical won the Best Musical award at the Tonys, along with honors for its three stars: Chita Rivera, Brent Carver and Anthony Crivello. There was also a 1985 non-musical film adaptation from Manuel Puig’s novel, which won William Hurt a Best Actor Oscar for playing Molina. Those past successes could be why Lopez signed on for the role because it’s no secret that an Academy Award is on her bucket list. 

Buy Now 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' Cast Recording $11.49

J.Lo admitted in her Netflix documentary, Halftime, that she was extremely disappointed when she was snubbed for performance in Hustlers. “The truth is, I really started to think I was gonna get nominated. I got my hopes up because so many people were telling me I would be. And then it didn’t happen,” she revealed in a voiceover. She promised herself that she was going to “keep working” because the good reviews from film critics proved that she was on the right path in her career. With this new vehicle, Lopez might be again having that opportunity to be in the award-show mix and finally nab that coveted Oscar nomination.

Before you go, click here to see all of our favorite Jennifer Lopez movies!

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