Kiss of the Spider Woman has had numerous adaptations since Manuel Puig’s original 1976 novel was published, but the new movie musical starring Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez, which is now playing in movie theaters, chose to tackle themes from Puig’s book that were absent from previous versions.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan for Kiss of the Spider Woman, the movie’s director Bill Condon was asked what were some of the biggest differences between the 1985 movie adaptation of Puig’s story, and even the stage musical that the movie is based on. For Condon, it was about going “back to what Puig had created 49 years ago.”

It is a love story and I really wanted to focus on that. Also, there’s an exploration of gender fluidity that hadn’t been captured in other versions. I thought it was time to do that. I feel like we’ve all caught up to Puig.

Kiss of the Spider Woman centers on political prisoner Valentín (Luna), who is placed in a cell with window dresser Molina (Tonatiuh), who was convicted of public indecency. The two grow close as Molina recounts the plot of his favorite Hollywood musical starring Ingrid Luna (Lopez).

Condon added that another aspect he wanted to get across in the movie was “what performing and musicals can do for people who are living in difficult circumstances.”

The director, who has also been behind notable movie musicals Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast, as well as directing Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 & Part 2, also shared his personal favorite musical number in the movie – “Gimme Love.” Lopez sings that song, but for Condon a big part of the thrill was pulling off the complex scene.

“That was the last big number we sH๏τ, and we didn’t have the option of going an extra day,” he said. “… [Lopez] killed it, and it’s like, ‘Oh wow, we have that.'”

Lopez has been receiving plenty of acclaim for her performance, which has led to Oscar buzz. While Lopez says she “learned her lesson” after being snubbed for her acclaimed performance in 2019’s Hustlers, she does admit it’s great to be in the conversation.

Previous versions of Kiss of the Spider Woman have had good luck at awards shows. The 1985 movie received four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture, and star William Hurt won Best Actor. The original Broadway production did even better at the Tonys, earning 11 nominations and seven wins, including Best Musical.

This latest adaptation is officially “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 76%; you can also read ScreenRant’s official Kiss of the Spider Woman review. Though its results at the awards shows will have to wait until the end of the year and into early 2026.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is now playing exclusively in movie theaters.