It’s time to step back into the spotlight. The first teaser trailer forKiss of the Spider Woman— the dazzling, Technicolor-hued musical from directorBill Condon— is here, and it’s as bold and breathtaking as fans could’ve hoped. StarringDiego Luna,Tonatiuh, andJennifer Lopez, the adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway hit is set to hit theatres on July 27, 2025 — and yes, Lopez sings.
Luna (Andor) stars as Valentín, a political prisonerwasting away behind bars in a crumbling Latin American jail. But life behind bars shifts when he’s forced to share a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a flamboyant window dresser arrested for public indecency. As the days drag on, Molina finds escape in the only way he knows how: by recounting the glamorous plots of old Hollywood musicals starring his favourite silver screen icon,Ingrid Luna — played with intoxicating charm and vintage grandeurby none other than Lopez, who also serves as executive producer.
Written and directed by Condon (Dreamgirls,Beauty and the Beast), the adaptation draws fromManuel Puig’s1976 novel and the Broadway musical written byTerrence McNally, with music byJohn Kanderand lyrics byFred Ebb.The cast also boasts serious awards pedigree: Luna is an Emmy nominee, and Lopez is a multi-hyphenate legend with Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe nods to her name.
Is ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Worth Watching?
Collider’sRoss Bonaimefelt the film had its merits, even if the direction of Condon wasn’t quite good enough to raise it to the heights of greatness.In his 6/10 review, Bonaime stated that “Kiss of the Spider Womantruly shines when it explores the musical side of its story.The music itself isn’t particularly remarkable, and you won’t leave the theater with a tune stuck in your head, but the striking musical numbers are where this film really finds its groove.”
Bonaime also felt thatLopez may have found her medium in musicals, and that she and Condon would make a formidable team if they were hyper focused on one particular aspect:
Kiss of the Spider Womanis yet another decent adaptation, buteven Condon’s visual panache and scale can’t quite elevate this story to greatness.Lopez absolutely proves that this should be the first of many musicals that she works on, and if Condon and Lopez collaborated on a project that primarily focused on her performance, it would likely be stunning. But in a film that is so much about the beauty of escapism and the power of films, Condon’sKiss of the Spider Womandoesn’t provide enough of that to make this movie fully work.
Kiss of the Spider Womanwill release in theaters on July 25, 2025. Check out the trailer for the film above.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
