Jennifer Lopez recently celebrated a major milestone in her career. At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Lopez, 55, premiered her new musical movie Kiss of the Spider Woman on Sunday, Jan. 26. The actress became visibly emotional as the film was met with a standing ovation.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” Lopez shared during a post-screening discussion when the Q&A moderator mentioned that she was “made for this movie.”
Reflecting on the significance of musicals in her life, Lopez explained, “The reason that I even wanted to be in this business was because my mom would sit me in front of the TV… we’d come on once a year, West Side Story on Thanksgiving.
I remember I was just mesmerized. And I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ And that was always my goal. And this is the first time I actually got to do it. This crowd made my dream come true!”
Kiss of the Spider Woman stars Diego Luna as a political prisoner during Argentina’s civil war in the 1980s, who is incarcerated alongside another man played by Tonatiuh.
The movie is a reimagining of the 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig, and the musical adaptation by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally. The stage version of the story won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1993.
Lopez, during the Q&A, expressed her gratitude, saying, “I think of Chita Rivera, I think of Fred Ebb. I think of Terrence McNally and all of the love that they poured into this. And it is just an honor to be able to be part of this movie. And I thank you guys so much for this moment. Thank you.”
In Kiss of the Spider Woman, Lopez plays a character in a musical that one of the two imprisoned men recounts to the other during their time in captivity.
According to the festival synopsis, “Jennifer Lopez is an astonishing scene-stealer in a career-highlight performance as Luna/Aurora, with showstopping musical numbers that underscore the exuberant prowess of her dancing and voice.”
Lopez further reflected on the film’s impact, saying, “I think the thing about the movie that I love the most is that it tells the importance of storytelling and how it can help you get through the day and how it helps all of us.” She continued, “Films help all of us kind of get through the hardest times in our lives, just like music.
That’s why musicals, movies are so important. And the importance of love. The importance of love, and just seeing each other as human beings and how love can kind of shorten the gap of any divide between people.”
While Kiss of the Spider Woman does not yet have a release date, Lopez is also serving as a producer for the film, alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon through their production company, Artists Equity.
