Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy Of Roadside Attractions.
Based on the musical of the same name, ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman‘ comes exclusively to theaters on October 10th. The film follows a political prisoner named Valentin (Diego Luna) and his new cellmate Molina (Tonatiuh), as they form an unlikely bond. Jennifer Lopez also stars in the film as Ingrid Luna, Aurora, and the Spider Woman.
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman.’ Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
At the core of ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ are three powerful, unforgettable, performances. Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh are all incredible actors, and if nothing else, this movie is proof of that. They all ooze chemistry with one another, which is important for the story being told. However, there are some issues with the pacing that severaly take away from this, causing it to not hit the potential that it has.
Story and Direction
Bill Condon attends the ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ New York premiere. Credit: Jason Crowley/BFA.
‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ essentially tells two stories that are often playing off of one another. As Molina explains his favorite movie to Valentin over the course of many days, we find life immitating art. While both of these do have their intriguing and captivating moments, the cuts back and forth often take viewers out of the experience, causing them to struggle to reconnect with the characters when they are re-introduced to them.
That said, director Bill Condon does a wonderful job capturing the feel of an early era movie, as does the production and costuming team.
(L to R) Tonatiuh and Diego Luna in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
One of the biggest issues here is a key plot point that almost comes out of nowhere. Those who know the musical will be waiting for it, and those that do not, well, they will never see it coming. The issue here lies in that there really should be breadcrumbs along the way hinting that this is where things are going. It is almost too jarring and out of left field for viewers who do not know what to expect. This is largely in part, once again, due to the back and forth of the two stories.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Tonatiuh and Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
As already discussed earlier in this review, the strongest part of ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ is the cast. All three leads deliver performances of a lifetime. They connect with each other in unexpected and thrilling ways, always evoking a powerful emotion, no matter who they are opposite with in the scene.
(L to R) Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez in in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
Jennifer Lopez is not just a great actress, she is known for her singing and dancing, something we see a lot of in this movie. However, audiences will likely find themselves wanting more every time it cuts back to the prison. Still, it is impossible not to appreciate all of the musical performances, no matter how subtle or grandeous.
Final Thoughts
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy Of Roadside Attractions.
Audiences will be drawn to the screen due to the gorgeous costumes and lead performances in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’, if nothing else. While the overall stories timely and emotional, the back and forth does a disservice to both of them.
There was also no need for the film to be over two hours long. If twenty minutes or so were removed, and if the dual stories were allowed more time to breath rather than rapidly going back and forth, ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ could have been a masterpiece. Instead, it is a fine enough movie that is worth seeing, if only for Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez, and Tonatiuh.
‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ receives a score of 65 out of 100.
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
What is the plot of ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’?
Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, 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.
Who is in the cast of ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’?
Diego Luna as Valentin Arregui and Armando
Tonatiuh as Luis Molina and Kendall Nesbit
Jennifer Lopez as Aurora, Ingrid Luna, and Spider Woman
(L to R) Bill Condon, Jennifer Lopez, and Tonatiuh attend the ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ New York premiere. Credit: Jason Crowley/BFA.
‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman‘, which is based on the musical of the same name, comes exclusively to theaters on October 10th. It tells the story of two prisoners who form an unlikely bond. Moviefone was in attendance at the press conference in support of the release, which featured Jennifer Lopez (who plays Aurora, Ingrid Luna, and Spider Woman) and Diego Luna (who plays Valentin Arregui and Armando). They shared details about the costumes and choreography, as well as the film’s powerful message.
1) How Jennifer Lopez Crafted Three Separate Characters
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
Jennifer Lopez plays not one, not two, but three different characters in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. Here, she discusses how she crafted all three of them.
Jennifer Lopez: It was three different characters that I got to play. Ingrid Luna, the actress, that Tonatiuh’s character, Molina, idolizes and is in love with. There’s her, and then there’s Aurora, and then there’s the Spider Woman, right? There is the dark and the light. The two sides of somebody. At the end of the day, you look at it and you say, okay, Molina is Aurora. They’re the same person. And then Molina loves Ingrid Luna. For me, it was making them all just a little bit different, but knowing that all of us were the same, in that we were all searching for love. The Spider Woman just wants a kiss. Aurora’s looking for her true love. Molina’s dying to be loved, wanting to be loved, wanting to be seen. For me, playing each one of the three characters, it was about finding little nuances.
2) Jennifer Lopez Took A Lot Of Inspiration From Old Hollywood
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Photo: Lionsgate.
When talking about the costumes, Jennifer Lopez reveals the old Hollywood actresses and styles that she and director Bill Condon looked to for inspiration.
Jennifer Lopez: It’s the costumes and it’s the hair and makeup, right? It’s all of it because my three characters are so different. [The Costume Designer] Colleen Atwood was very specific about what she wanted. It wasn’t like other costume designers I’ve worked with. She was like, this is the suit that I’m thinking of for this, and she had a sketch of it and she had color swatches. And she was like, what do you think? We kind of honed it down, but it made it very clear for me where I was in each moment because we are not making a whole movie in the musical, right? We’re doing pieces of this movie. It made it very simple for me to understand exactly who I was in that moment. So for me, the costumes are a very big part of understanding the character and making the reality come to life in that way. We talked about Judy Garland [as inspiration] for Ingrid Luna a little bit. We kind of looked at some of her performances for that. When I think of old Hollywood movie stars, I think of Ava Gardner or Rita Hayworth, those type of women. Lana Turner was one that we looked at for the hair for Aurora. Audrey Hepburn for the Spider Woman.
3) Diego Luna Reveals How He Found The Characters Of Valentin & Armando
(L to R) Tonatiuh and Diego Luna in ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
Diego Luna explains how he crafted his ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ characters and the inspiration behind them.
Diego Luna: I guess growing up in Mexico and learning about the recent history of Latin America, this film means a lot, you know? There are so many brutal examples of dictatorships in Latin America. I was in Mexico in the 90s where a lot was happening, in 94 particularly. It was a very important year for many things. For social movements and for community work. So, of course that’s there. But I would say that the most important part of my past that I got to play with here is theater. My father was a set designer and this film to me is a homage to the theater, or how much film was theater back then.
4) Jennifer Lopez Says One Of The Film’s Biggest Messages Is That Love Is Love
Jennifer Lopez attends the ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ New York premiere. Credit: Jason Crowley/BFA.
Jennifer Lopez is also an executive producer on ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’. One of the things that drew her to this film is the powerful message that she wants viewers to take away.
Jennifer Lopez: I feel like the story and the message is not done yet. It needed to be told again to this generation. We need to remind people of the humanity of these communities. We need to remind people that love is love. It’s a story that I think will keep being told until everybody gets on board with the fact that we’re all just people and we all should just be loving each other. It doesn’t matter who we are on the outside because you have this cisgendered man who’s a political, tough, revolutionary, and then you have this window dresser who’s on the gender spectrum and we’re not quite clear what it is from that time because it was in the 80s. And you have the two of them just seeing the humanity in each other, realizing they need each other, and falling in love with who the other person is.
5) Jennifer Lopez Has Been Wanting To Do This Type Of Dancing In A Film For A Long Time
(L to R) Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez in in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
When asked about the choreography for ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’, Jennifer Lopez admits that it is something she has wanted to do for a very long time.
Jennifer Lopez: It was amazing. I do a lot of shows, my own shows, and I do a lot of dancing, but I hadn’t done this type of dancing for years and years and years. That musical theater, jazz, technical style of dancing, Broadway style of dancing. And so it was challenging. It was challenging, but so much fun. Because it was something that I had wanted to do for so long. I just loved it. I loved every minute of it.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy Of Roadside Attractions.
What is the plot of ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’?
Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, 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.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Bill Condon about his work on ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’, the challenges of adapting the musical for the screen, directing the dance sequences, his visual influences, and what impressed him most about working with Jennifer Lopez.
‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ writer and director Bill Condon.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Condon and Tonatiuh.
Bill Condon attends the ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ New York premiere. Credit: Jason Crowley/BFA.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the challenges of adapting a stage musical for the screen and the process of writing the screenplay?
Bill Condon: The challenge, really, when you love a musical on stage the way I do this, is you must be brutal. You must figure out what works in the different medium. Some of my favorite songs in this show are people singing within prison walls and I just don’t believe in that as a viable way to go when making this into a film. I really thought we had to make a clear delineation between the grittiness and reality of the cell and the fantasy of the musical numbers, which mostly happened in a Hollywood movie and sometimes in Molina’s imagination, or in one case, a morphine induced fever dream. So, I think that’s the big challenge to take this score, for example, which I think is one of John Kander’s greatest. He’s a great lover of opera and I think this is the show in which he came closest to creating an opera. Then having to say goodbye to over half of it. Then because Fred Ebb is no longer with us, and I knew that in creating this movie within the movie, which hadn’t existed before, that there were song slots that he’d be writing if he were here. So, then the challenge, but fun was doing this archaeological dig, all the stuff that Fred and John wrote for this show in the years before it came to Broadway. So, there are three wonderful songs that are unearthed here and heard for the first time.
(L to R) Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez in in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
MF: Can you talk about the dance sequences, the specific way you wanted to shoot them and your visual influences for those scenes?
BC: Well, we wanted to shoot them in the style of the period, which meant longer takes, more full-figured, to show basically that these dancers and Jennifer Lopez are doing every one of those things. You know, she has shots here where she dances with six dancers for over a minute and hits marks and things like that, the way they used to, except for they used to have two weeks to rehearse those shots and we had a day. So that’s just a testament to Jennifer Lopez. But in terms of influences, they’re just countless movies of the period that get referenced in this movie. I really do look forward to the Easter egg commentary on the Blu-ray where we can really point people to the numbers that inspired us.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy Of Roadside Attractions.
MF: Finally, what impressed you most about working with Jennifer Lopez and the way she interpreted her role?
BC: I think what impressed me most, the work ethic I’d heard about, so it was thrilling, but not a surprise. But what impressed me most is that she really connected to the idea that the character Aurora that she’s playing in this movie is Molina’s ideal version of himself. So, she really wanted to layer in things, emotions that he was feeling into that performance and translate it into the style of the period. It’s remarkable, and it’s so subtle, I think people might not even notice it, but it’s an incredible feat of, in her case, immersion in the style, and then layering in within that. When she realizes, “Oh, my God, I’ve been cursed. This is why I can’t love,” which is how Molina feels about himself. She does it in the style of the period, but she brings it this extra kind of little bit of grit that connects to what Molina is up to.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. Courtesy Of Roadside Attractions.
What is the plot of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’?
Valentín (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).
Who is in the cast of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’?
Jennifer Lopez as Ingrid Luna/Aurora/The Spider Woman
(Left) Jennifer Lopez attends the Tribeca Festival Opening Night & World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Halftime’ on June 08, 2022 in New York City. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images. (Right) ‘Here’ director Robert Zemeckis attends AFI Fest Director’s Spotlight. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images
Preview:
Jennifer Lopez will star in ‘The Last Mrs. Parrish.’
Zemeckis’ most recent movie didn’t exactly perform (more on that below) and Lopez has been beset by issues, including cancelling her most recent tour and less than positive reactions to her self-produced concept movie ‘This Is Me… Now,’ which tied into an album.
6EiyQPfi0iknjMsVl6VNf4
They’ll both be hoping for brighter prospects with a new project, which will be based at Netflix, where Lopez has enjoyed some better reviews for her work.
The pair is teaming up for a movie that Lopez will co-produce and star in called ‘The Last Mrs. Parrish,’ with Zemeckis aboard to direct.
Jennifer Lopez at 2015 American Music Awards. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.
The new movie will adapt the 2018 Liv Constantine novel, which follows a con artist (to be played by Lopez) who targets a wealthy couple — the Parrishes — as her next victims.
She infiltrates the pair by befriending the wife and seducing the husband, with the master plan of becoming the next Mrs. Parrish, only to discover that the wife’s life is far more complicated than she could have imagined.
Constantine’s book was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, has sold more than 1 million copies and been published in about three dozen countries.
Liza Chasin is producing for 3dot Productions along with Molly Sims for Something Happy Productions, while Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions. Margaret Chernin of 3dot will be executive producers.
Where else can we see Jennifer Lopez?
(L to R) William Goldenberg (Director) and Jennifer Lopez (Judy Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Aside from the aforementioned ‘This Is Me… Now,’ Lopez has had better luck with movies including Netflix sci-fi thriller ‘Atlas’ and based-on-truth wrestling tale ‘Unstoppable,’ which arrived via Amazon MGM Studios.
Coming up, she has musical drama ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ directed by Bill Condon, which garnered good notices at Sundance and is headed to theaters in an awards-consideration run via Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate and LD Entertainment this fall.
This is what Condon said of the move:
“All of us who made this film believe it needs to be experienced in a theatre, so we’re grateful and excited to be partnering with the very talented folks at Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate Studios, and LD Entertainment to make that happen. On a personal note, this feels like a homecoming –– Lionsgate picked up ‘Gods and Monsters’ out of Sundance in 1998, and I’ve worked with them and Roadside on three other films since then.”
It’s the story of Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, who runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees.
When a new sexy lawyer begins working for her, that policy becomes very tested. That one doesn’t have a release date on the books yet.
Lopez also has ‘The Godmother,’ a crime drama about the rise and fall of the late drug lord Griselda Blanco, at the scripting stage.
Zemeckis, a respected filmmaker who has crafted some of the most memorable movies including ‘Forrest Gump,’ the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy, ‘Contact’ and ‘Cast Away,’ hasn’t had the best of luck with more recent releases.
‘Welcome to Marwen’ didn’t do great business, and his remake of ‘The Witches’ was widely panned. More recently, experimental drama ‘Here,’ despite boasting a ‘Forrest Gump’ reunion with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright leading the cast and a compelling visual hook of being set in one room that changes over time, also flopped at the box office.
He has a new animated series called ‘Tooned Out’ at the Max streaming service and a variety of projects in development as either director or producer, including action biopic ‘The King’ and sci-fi drama ‘Ares.’
When will ‘The Last Mrs. Parrish’ arrive on screens?
Netflix has not yet announced a release date for the movie –– which, if it follows the pattern of other recent Lopez projects for the company, will debut on its servers rather than in theaters.
‘Here’ director Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks attend the AFI Fest Director’s Spotlight. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Steven Soderbergh is one of the most prolific and celebrated filmmakers of his generation.
The director’s breakthrough movie, 1989’s ‘sex, lies, and videotape‘, gave birth to the independent film movement of the 1990’s. Soderbergh would go on to helm such acclaimed films as ‘Out of Sight‘, ‘Erin Brockovich‘, and ‘Traffic‘, which earned him an Oscar for Best Director, before going on to make the popular ‘Ocean’s Eleven‘ and ‘Magic Mike‘ franchises.
Soderbergh has two movies releasing in 2025, the experimental supernatural film ‘Presence‘, which opened in theaters on January 24th, and the spy thriller ‘Black Bag‘, which stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, and is scheduled for release on March 14th.
In honor of the upcoming release of ‘Black Bag’, Moviefone is counting down every film Steven Soderbergh has ever directed, including TV movies, documentaries, anthology films, and his latest.
Matt Damon in ‘The Informant!’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company’s multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion.
From the first time he performed ‘Swimming to Cambodia‘ – the one-man account of his experience of making the 1984 film ‘The Killing Fields‘ – Spalding Gray made the art of the monologue his own. Drawing unstintingly on the most intimate aspects of his own life, his shows were vibrant, hilarious and moving. His death came tragically early, in 2004; this compilation of interview and performance footage nails his idiosyncratic and irreplaceable brilliance.
A celebrated author (Meryl Streep) takes a journey with some old friends to have some fun and heal old wounds. Her nephew (Lucas Hedges) comes along to wrangle the ladies and finds himself involved with a young literary agent (Gemma Chan).
A recovering gambling addict (Peter Gallagher) attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his ex-wife (Alison Elliott) and her dangerous hoodlum boyfriend (William Fichtner).
Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse… and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he—and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape—be able to pull it off?
The film documents, in an often dramatic and humorous fashion, Spalding Gray’s investigations into alternative medicine for an eye condition (Macular pucker) he had developed.
Based on the Depression-era bildungsroman memoir of writer A. E. Hotchner, the film follows the story of a boy (Jesse Bradford) struggling to survive on his own in a hotel in St. Louis after his mother is committed to a sanatorium with tuberculosis. His father, a German immigrant and traveling salesman working for the Hamilton Watch Company, is off on long trips from which the boy cannot be certain he will return.
Chelsea (Sasha Grey) is an in-demand call girl whose $2,000 an hour price tag allows her to live in New York’s lap of luxury. Besides her beauty and sexual skill, Chelsea offers her clients companionship and conversation, or, as she dubs it, “the girlfriend experience.” With her successful business and a devoted, live-in boyfriend, Chelsea thinks she has it made… until a new client rocks her world.
A tech worker (Zoë Kravitz) with agoraphobia discovers recorded evidence of a violent crime but is met with resistance when she tries to report it. Seeking justice, she must do the thing she fears the most: leave her apartment.
A three-part anthology film about love and sexuality: a menage-a-trois between a couple and a young woman on the coast of Tuscany; an advertising executive under enormous pressure at work, who, during visits to his psychiatrist, is pulled to delve into the possible reasons why his stress seems to manifest itself in a recurring erotic dream; and a story of unrequited love about a beautiful, 1960s high-end call girl in an impossible affair with her young tailor.
An American journalist (George Clooney) arrives in Berlin just after the end of World War Two. He becomes involved in a murder mystery surrounding a dead GI who washes up at a lakeside mansion during the Potsdam negotiations between the Allied powers. Soon his investigation connects with his search for his married pre-war German lover (Cate Blanchett).
After the Cuban Revolution, Che (Benicio del Toro) is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.
When a widow (Meryl Streep) gets swindled out of insurance money, her search for answers leads to two cunning lawyers (Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas) in Panama who hide cash for the superrich.
André Holland in ‘High Flying Bird’. Photo: Netflix.
During an NBA lockout, a sports agent, Ray Burke (André Holland), presents his rookie client, Erick Scott (Melvin Gregg), with an intriguing and controversial business opportunity.
A woman (Rooney Mara) turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband’s (Channing Tatum) upcoming release from prison.
The Argentine, begins as Che (Benicio del Toro) and a band of Cuban exiles (led by Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir)) reach the Cuban shore from Mexico in 1956. Within two years, they mobilized popular support and an army and toppled the U.S.-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), is recounted.
A group of criminals are brought together under mysterious circumstances and have to work together to uncover what’s really going on when their simple job goes completely sideways.
Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) team of criminals are back and composing a plan more personal than ever. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) doublecrosses Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), causing a heart attack, Danny Ocean vows that he and his team will do anything to bring down Willy Bank along with everything he’s got. Even if it means asking for help from an enemy.
Kafka (Jeremy Irons), an insurance worker gets embroiled in an underground group after a co-worker is murdered. The underground group is responsible for bombings all over town, attempting to thwart a secret organization that controls the major events in society. He eventually penetrates the secret organization and must confront them.
Less than 24 hours into his parole, charismatic thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is already rolling out his next plan: In one night, Danny’s hand-picked crew of specialists will attempt to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos. But to score the cash, Danny risks his chances of reconciling with ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts).
(L to R) Channing Tatum, Riley Keough and Adam Driver in ‘Lucky Logan’. Photo: Bleecker Street.
Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Mike (Channing Tatum), an experienced stripper, takes a younger performer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.
As an epidemic of a lethal airborne virus – that kills within days – rapidly grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) reunites with his old flame and the rest of his merry band of thieves in carrying out three huge heists in Rome, Paris and Amsterdam – but a Europol agent is hot on their heels.
Ann (Andie MacDowell), a frustrated wife, enters into counseling due to a troubled marriage. Unbeknownst to her, her husband John (Peter Gallagher) has begun an affair with her sister. When John’s best friend Graham (James Spader) arrives, his penchant for interviewing women about their sex lives forever changes John and Ann’s rocky marriage.
‘Black Bag’ is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
A twice-divorced mother (Julia Roberts) of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins — with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.
Meet Jack Foley (George Clooney), a smooth criminal who bends the law and is determined to make one last heist. Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) is a federal marshal who chooses all the right moves … and all the wrong guys. Now they’re willing to risk it all to find out if there’s more between them than just the law.
An exploration of the United States of America’s war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (Michael Douglas), the war becomes personal when he discovers his well-educated daughter (Erika Christensen) is abusing cocaine within their comfortable suburban home. In Mexico, a flawed, but noble policeman (Benicio del Toro) agrees to testify against a powerful general in league with a cartel, and in San Diego, a drug kingpin’s sheltered trophy wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) must learn her husband’s ruthless business after he is arrested, endangering her luxurious lifestyle.
(L to R) Luis Guzmán and Terence Stamp in ‘The Limey’. Photo: Artisan Entertainment.
The Limey follows Wilson (Terence Stamp), a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter’s death. Upon arrival, Wilson goes to task battling Valentine (Peter Fonda) and an army of L.A.’s toughest criminals, hoping to find clues and piece together what happened. After surviving a near-death beating, getting thrown from a building and being chased down a dangerous mountain road, the Englishman decides to dole out some bodily harm of his own.
Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
‘Unstoppable’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on December 6th before arriving on Prime Video January 16th, ‘Unstoppable’ is just the latest challenger to enter the ring of sports biopics that take inspirational stories of overcoming big challenges with a charismatic real-life figure at their heart.
Unfortunately in this case, the movie also comes burdened with the sort of factory-tooled reverence and seen-them-all-before beats, never quite overcoming that baseline feel.
Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Anthony Robles’ story is certainly one worthy of the biopic treatment –– a young sportsman who already overcame the challenges of being born with just one leg, who applies himself with determination and grace to a difficult sporting arena.
And his is also one of personal struggles, facing a difficult step-father and a family forever in financial poor straights barely kept together by their passionate mother. Trouble is, it’s a story we’ve seen and heard many times before and to stand out from the crowd, it has to receive truly special, thoughtful treatment.
In ‘Unstoppables’ case it feels more like the filmmakers took the very basic formula, slapped on the standard reverent music and homilies from characters around Anthony, and said, “will that do?”
It does at least boast two big advantages in the committed performances from stars Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez.
Script and Direction
(L to R) William Goldenberg (Director) and Jennifer Lopez (Judy Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
It took three screenwriters –– Eric Champnella, Alex Harris and John Hindman to adapt Robles’ book ‘Unstoppable: From Underdog To Undefeated: How I Became A Champion,’ written with Austin Murphy. It’s perhaps not surprising that the movie has been through a couple of different variations, but you’d somehow hope that with different people working on it, there might have been some more invention handed down during that process.
Which is not to say ‘Unstoppable’ has a bad screenplay, it’s simply a painfully straightforward one. Though we’re not expecting the wild invention of, say, ‘Better Man’ (in which British musician Robbie Williams’ life is brought to life via a CG chimp), ‘Unstoppable’ is simply a very pedestrian telling of the tale.
And despite an impactful central story, it feels the need to invent extra drama, such as a shutdown of the Arizona State wrestling program that in reality lasted for a much shorter time than the months shown here.
Director William Goldenberg has mostly worked as an editor on movies such as ‘Argo’ and ‘Heat,’ but his helming debut carries little of the energy of the films he has contributed to in the past. Again, it’s not a badly made film, just a very average one.
‘Unstoppable’: Performances
Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez are the shining stars of this one, largely carrying the film, though a talented supporting cast does what they can with basic roles.
Jharrel Jerome as Anthony Robles
Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Jerome is excellent here as Anthony, bringing the full force of the real-life athlete’s drive to the screen. He’s got real power, both in the wrestling ring (those scenes are certainly helped by the actual Robles standing in during most of those scenes to make sure the sport comes across accurately) and he also shines in the domestic scenes.
Jennifer Lopez as Judy Robles
(L to R) Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) and Jennifer Lopez (Judy Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Robles’ caring dedicated and spirited mother is the other key role in the movie, and Lopez gives it her all, whether dealing with her mercurial, unstable husband or fighting back against the predatory banks who control her home’s mortgage. Lopez is better here than in some other recent movies, handed more to chew on.
(L to R) Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) and Bobby Cannavale (Rick Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Rick, Anthony’s stepfather (who in one particularly passive-aggressively cruel moment reminds the young Anthony of that fact that he’s not his real dad) is a boorish prison warden, who is as unreliable as he is outspoken.
Cannavale does what he can with the part, but there’s not much meat on that bonehead.
Don Cheadle (Coach Shawn Charles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
As the coach at Arizona State, Cheadle’s character is mostly a collection of encouraging catchphrase and wise lessons about life. While this isn’t The Coach Charles Story, you do wish the film could have found one other layer to offer, though it does give him a solid moment when he admits the wrestling program has been ditched, the rest of his scenes you could probably write having not seen the movie.
Michael Peña in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Peña, if anything, has even less to do than Cheadle, with just a few scenes in which to make an impact.
Final Thoughts
Jennifer Lopez (Judy Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
‘Unstoppable’ is a perfectly meritorious film with a superb real-life story at its core. It’s just that while the movie wouldn’t exist without Robles’ impactful story, it still comes across looking like 20 other sports biopics.
Between this and ‘The Fire Inside’ it might be time for inspirational sports dramas to hit the benches for now.
zu7QjjdhM9v2l1vm7snhc3
What is the plot of ‘Unstoppable’?
With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion.
(Left) Thandiwe Newton in ‘Rogue’. Photo: DirecTV. (Right) Steve Zahn in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Preview:
Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn are aboard the new ‘Anaconda.’
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are starring.
Directors Tom Gormican is rolling the cameras now.
While the original is certainly funny intentionally in places, the 1997 giant snake thriller ‘Anaconda’ is mostly remembered for being ridiculous even when it tries to be horrific (and let’s be honest, a lot of that is due to Jon Voight’s leery schmuck).
3834
Now, though, Sony’s Columbia arm has a new take on the concept, and this time the focus is firmly on the funny, with Jack Black and Paul Rudd aboard to star.
Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.
As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.
That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.
‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.
1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
As you might expect given the presence of Black and Rudd, the aim is for the new movie to go a more comedic route.
Tom Gormican, who last brought us Nicolas Cage spoof ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, co-wrote the script with collaborator Kevin Etten and is now rolling the cameras in Australia to take advantage of tax breaks via the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
The new story, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth.
They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
Black will play an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.
Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends that join the two on the ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal wrangler. Skye is playing Black’s wife.
Where have I seen the new recruits?
(L to R) Thandiwe Newton and Angela Sarafyan in ‘Westworld’. Photo: HBO.
On the small screen, beyond her Emmy-winning turn on ‘Westworld,’ she’s been seen on ‘ER,’ ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘The Slap’ and is heard as Mona on Netflix series ‘Big Mouth.’ She’ll continue her association with the streaming service by showing up on ‘Wednesday’s second season this year.
Brazilian actor Mello is currently found starring opposite Fernanda Torres in Walter Salles’ political drama ‘I’m Still Here,’ which has been doing well this awards season.
Working as an actor since childhood, he last year starred in another Brazilian movie, ‘Bury Your Dead,’ and is also a director, with one of his movies, ‘The Clown,’ serving as his country’s submission for the best foreign language film at the 2013 Oscars.
When will the new ‘Anaconda’ slither on to screens?
With Fully Formed, the company run by producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, producing the movie, it has now secured a December 25th release date. Happy Snake-mas!
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Opening in theaters on December 6th before premiering on Prime Video January 16th is the new sports drama ‘Unstoppable’, which is based on the true story of 2011 NCAA Wrestling Champion Anthony Robles.
(L to R) Jharrel Jerome and Anthony Robles talk ‘Unstoppable’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jharrel Jerome and Anthony Robles about their work on ‘Unstoppable’, what it means to Jerome personally to tell Robles incredible true story, working with the accomplished cast of actors, and Robles’ experience having a movie made about his life.
You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
Moviefone: To begin with, Jharrel, what has it meant to you personally to have the opportunity to meet Anthony and tell his story on screen and as an actor, what was the most challenging aspect of this project for you?
Jharrel Jerome: I mean, this project I think is the most important thing I’ve done up until now in my life, especially because I’ve been involved with this for five years now. I met Anthony back in 2019. I just turned 22, I’m 27 now. So, this has become larger than life. This has become larger than my career, and this isn’t just a role I approached. This was a life-changing experience for me, all the way down to my physicality, which in turn leads to my mental health and my self-care, how I communicate, and how I speak. That all just comes from observing Anthony, I promise you, you can’t be in a room with this guy for 10 minutes and not want to go lift some weights or go try something new in life. That’s just the power he holds. It’s not often you get to do a role that truly changes you the way this did. So, I’m grateful, very grateful.
(L to R) Director William Goldenberg, Anthony Robles and Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) in Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
MF: Anthony, what is it like having a movie made about your own life and did you have any advice for Jharrel about playing you when starting this project?
Anthony Robles: The experiences, it was just exciting and terrifying going through it because your whole story’s being told, not just the happy moments, it’s the painful moments as well that are going to be shared. So, finding that balance of everything and just finding a group of people that would respect my family and the struggles that we went through and portray it in the way to where we could say, “Yeah, we’re okay. We’re proud of sharing this because this is our story.” So, to see the finished product now, I’m very excited. I’m very proud of it and happy with how it turned out because I can honestly say that is our story up there. As far as giving Jharrel advice, honestly, I really didn’t have to give him advice. As he mentioned, we met back in 2019, so we just developed this friendship and this brotherhood. For him, he was just focused on those little details about me. I didn’t even realize that. I’m just living my life. I’m just hanging out. I’m just having fun with my friends, and he’s observing these things as we’re going throughout the process. So, it was neat for me to be able to sit back on set and just really know and trust that Jharrel, he was going to take care of business out there. He made me proud, and I just trusted him 100% with my story and sharing from my perspective.
(L to R) Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) and Jennifer Lopez (Judy Robles) in ‘Unstoppable’. Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa/Prime Video.
MF: Finally, Jharrel, you are surrounded by an excellent cast that includes Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña and Bobby Cannavale, just to name a few. What was it like for you to get to work with them and what did you learn from watching the way they work?
JJ: I mean, it’s a dream come true. When I got the call, I had mixed feelings. Half of me was very excited and thinking this is going to be an honor. But the other half was, I was terrified, especially when I heard about Don. This is somebody I hold to a very high standard as an actor and hope to emulate his path as an actor. So, it kind of made me up my ante. It kind of gave me an aggressive edge and a push that I needed. As for what I learned from them, it wasn’t specific. The way Don can live in the character as if he’s lived in his whole life, it’s so impressive to me. Then the way Jen can shut off the mega stardom and the world and just zone in and focus. Michael and Bobby’s approach to taking a one-dimensional sort of character and putting elements to it, it’s just incredible. It makes you just want to continue to work with top-tier actors and it just ups your game.
zu7QjjdhM9v2l1vm7snhc3
What is the plot of ‘Unstoppable’?
With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd may star in a new version of ‘Anaconda’.
Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight headlined the 1997 original.
Tom Gormican is attached to direct the new movie.
Movie studios love dipping into their archives to find old titles they can slap some remake/re-imagining/legacy sequel paint onto and push into theaters to earn some fresh cash.
Sony is doing just that, having kicked off development of a new take on 1997’s ‘Anaconda,’ which, as you can guess, focused on a snake. In this case, a massive snake.
Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.
As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.
That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.
‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.
The Reporter’s sources are pointing to the new story involving a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
But the details are foggier when it comes to the roles that the new actors are considering. There are competing accounts: one has Black playing an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd is an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away. It might, however, be the other way round.
A new ‘Bob the Builder’ animated movie is in development.
Jennifer Lopez is on board to produce the movie.
Anthony Ramos will voice Bob in a story set in Puerto Rico.
Here’s a story we’re not sure we saw coming: ‘Bob the Builder’, the classic animated kids’ show is getting its shot at a big screen movie. So far, so unexpected.
But then you learn that Jennifer Lopez is producing the film, with Anthony Ramos taking over voice duties for a story that will see the construction-minded character heading to Puerto Rico. And it’s backed by rights holder Mattel, who are still riding high on the success of ‘Barbie’.
For those who don’t have kids or a love of children’s’ TV output, Bob as a series follows the adventures of Bob, a general contractor, specializing, along with his colleague Wendy, various neighbors, and friends, and equipment, and their gang of anthropomorphized work-vehicles, Scoop, Muck, Dizzy, Roley, Lofty and many others.
The show began life in the UK, where it ran between 1999 to 2011 before the format was sold to Mattel and it came back for a new series in 2015.
As for the movie, it’ll see Roberto (aka Bob) travelling to Puerto Rico for a major construction job. According to the logline, audiences will see Bob as he “takes on issues affecting the island and digs deeper into what it means to build. Bob’s journey will celebrate the vibrant and colorful textures of the Caribbean Latin nations and their people.”
Anthony Ramos stars in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.’ Paramount Pictures and Skydance Present in association with Hasbro and New Republic Pictures, a di Bonaventura Pictures Production, a Tom Desanto /Don Murphy Production, a Bay Films Production.
“For years, ‘Bob the Builder’s characters have inspired young people around the world. A movie about friends working together, a celebration of a beautiful home they share, and how love can help to conquer any obstacle in your way. Can we fix it? Yes, we can!”
Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films, had this to say:
“Pairing Anthony and Felipe’s genius vision for the story will capture this beloved character in a manner that audiences who grew up with Bob will recognize, and all-new audiences will enjoy,” said Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films.
And this was the sentiment from Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas of Lopez’ Nuyorican Productions company:
“The show’s ability to promote positive thinking, problem-solving and empowerment with a completely original story set in Puerto Rico puts a new spin on a beloved brand. We can’t wait for new and existing fans to connect with these amazing characters.”
What else is on the way from Mattel?
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
With ‘Barbie’ having made more than $1.44 billion at the box office, Mattel is naturally eager to adapt other products. The current development slate includes ‘American Girl,’ a live-action ‘Barney’ movie with ‘Get Out’ star Daniel Kaluuya, the Vin Diesel-led ‘Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots,’ and Lena Dunham’s take on ‘Polly Pocket.’
