Jennifer Lopez's latest film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, failed to captivate audiences, earning a mere $840,000 during its opening weekend. This underperformance is particularly notable given the film's wide release across over 1,300 theaters nationwide. Directed by Bill Condon, known for his work on Chicago and Twilight, the movie stars Jennifer Lopez alongside Diego Luna, who has appeared in Y tu Mama Tambien, Rogue One, and Andor. The film's budget of $34 million, independently financed, and later acquired by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate, adds a layer of complexity to the situation, leaving questions about who will bear the financial burden of its theatrical losses.
The story, set in an Argentinian prison, follows a queer window dresser who creates fantastical tales about his favorite screen diva, played by Lopez, to escape his harsh reality. This is the second film adaptation of the 1985 classic Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Héctor Babenco, which grossed $17 million worldwide. Despite receiving solid reviews with a 77% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, Kiss of the Spider Woman joins a string of underperforming films in Lopez's filmography, with her last widely acclaimed role dating back to 2019's Hustlers. The challenge of matching the success of the original film, even without accounting for inflation, poses a significant hurdle for this new iteration.
