J.Lo Just Showed Us How She Learned to Pole Dance for Hustlers and We're in Awe

From Oprah Magazine

Since set pics from Jennifer Lopez's latest flick, Hustlers, which is being dubbed the "stripper movie," started emerging, it's generated massive buzz, thanks in large part to J. Lo and an all-star team that includes Constance Wu, Cardi B, Julia Stiles, Lizzo, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhart. We've started our official countdown to the movie's fall release. If you care to join us on this cinematic journey, here's everything we know about Hustlers thus far—and some pictures (brace yourself for the Cardi B snap!) to tide you over until we can finally see it on September 13.

What's the Hustlers release date?

The flick will be coming to a theater near you on September 13, J.Lo revealed in an Instagram post.

Can I see the trailer?

Yes!

And if that wasn't enough, here are some individual teasers and stills from the movie to enjoy:

And a snap of the cast together at the premiere on August 25, for good measure.

That's great, but what's Hustlers based on?

The film is loosely based on Jessica Pressler's 2016 New York Magazine feature "The Hustlers at Scores," which tells the real life tale of a savvy group of exotic dancers, led by Roselyn Keo and Samantha Barbash, who steal from their (predominantly) wealthy clients.... and a few who weren't.

When Lopez recently screened the film, she admitted that seeing it all go down made her feel a tad ill. "When I watched the movie for the first time, I was like, a little bit sick to my stomach," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I was like, 'Oh my God! What are they doing? They are going to kill this guy!'" she said, referring to a scene in which the strippers "hustle" one of their wealthy clients. "They were playing with fire."

Lopez added, "I'm a by-the-book kind of person. Like, I'm always afraid. I don't want to jaywalk or anything. They're going to get me!"

Who stars in Hustlers?

Well, besides J.Lo—who is playing the group's ringleader, Ramona—we've also got Constance Wu, Madeline Brewer of The Handmaid’s Tale, Julia Stiles, who portrays Jessica Pressler, Keke Palmer, Cardi B, Riverdale's Lili Reinhart, and Lizzo are all starring.

This is the "Cuz I Love You" singer's first live action flick, though she does voice a role in the upcoming animated film, Uglydolls.

The cast bonded (over blustery temps) filming in New York City, as you can see from this photo Constance Wu posted.

And here's another live action glimpse Palmer shared in her IG stories that was immortalized by a Reinhart fan account.

Did J.Lo cut out carbs and sugar to prep for her stripper role?

Yes! The 50-year-old, who was already in peak shape (in our very humble and accurate opinions) took on a 10-day no carb, no sugar challenge along with A-Rod before filming started. Her trainer, Dodd Romero, told us that she and A-Rod did 10 days of no sugar no carbs, took a five day break that included healthy carbs, and then started it over again.

Tell me more about vibe on the New York City set.

“I’ve honestly never worked on such a professional, focused, and quiet set too, a respectful set,” Julia Stiles told Cosmopolitan. “I think a lot of the work that Constance and Jennifer have to do is really, really challenging, not only in the fun hair/makeup/wardrobe that they have [but also] the transformation that they’re going through. But there’s actually a deeply rooted emotional story behind it, so everybody’s been really respectful. It’s great.”

Here's some of the emotion Stiles is referring to:

She also shared in an interview on AM to DM, BuzzFeed News,"I was so interested in the story and the script, the director and the cast, that I told the director, 'I don't care. I will sweep the floors, I will make coffee and sandwiches for everybody because I just want to be a part of this." She enthusiastically added,"It felt like they really hit on something."

Who is directing and producing?

Lorene Scafaria, known for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, is behind the camera as director and J.Lo is producing alongside STXfilms, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina, according to Variety.

What does J.Lo have to say about stripping?

“It’s a nightmare thinking about being up there. I’m exposing myself, let’s say, in a way, emotionally and physically more than I’ve ever done in a movie,” she told Elvis Duran Z00 Morning Show. “And I’ve done love scenes and this and that, whatever, but not like I was up there like that.

“I take sexy pictures and all that kind of stuff,” she added. “I’ve done videos that are very sexy...it’s not that, but this is a different mentality and so as an actress it’s a scary…for me, it’s not scary, it just makes me nervous.”

She later told Variety she thought "I’m going to be up there in f--ing dental floss. What is this? Who is this person?’" But then, something changed. "You get up there, and you have to have a ‘f--- you,’ empowered attitude," she said. "You have to take your power back. You have to be so bold."

"It’s almost like when you say you’re a rock star, you have to be arrogant to go up there in front of all those people or you crumble," she added. "You realize it’s the same type of balls that it takes to do something like that. And these women have that. They are tough, hard, vulnerable and damaged. It’s a great character to play.”

To prepare for the rule, J.Lo had a rigorous training schedule. You can see a behind-the-scenes video she shared of her rehearsing—or, shall we say, mastering the art of pole dancing—here:

Though it's really not just about the pole dancing...

Sure, that's involved but apparently the film has quite a bit of heart. Stiles gushed, "Lopez is not only phenomenal at pole-dancing, she's phenomenal, period."

"When I was in scenes with her it took everything not to have my jaw drop because she does so many things you can sometimes forget that she's a really legit actress, and she just stunned me," she said, adding, "Beyond the nails and the hair and makeup and the jewelry and the Bronx accent, she just transformed into this other person. But it didn't feel like a performance and I think people are going to be really riveted by her."

Is Juicy Couture a sponsor?

We can't say for sure, but 90s-tastic velour tracksuits will be featured prominently—so plan your screening attire accordingly.

Juicy baby tees are also encouraged.

Can you steal this dog?

We also can't say for certain, but you can absolutely try.

We'll be updating with more details as we have them. Until then, see you all on September 13!

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