The first trailer for Kiss of the Spider Woman has arrived, offering audiences a tantalising glimpse of a story that has travelled from novel to stage and screen. And if the cast of Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna and Tonatiuh isn’t enough to get you into the cinema seat, the new adaptation was also written and directed by Dreamgirls and Chicago creator Bill Condon.

Set in an Argentinian prison during the final years of the country’s military dictatorship, the film follows Luis Molina, played by Tonatiuh, a gay hairdresser serving an eight-year sentence for allegedly corrupting a minor. To survive the brutality of his surroundings, Molina conjures up cinematic fantasies centred on his idol, screen siren Ingrid Luna, played by Jennifer Lopez. Among her roles is the enigmatic Spider Woman, who dispatches her victims with a fatal kiss.

Molina’s cellmate, Valentín Arregui Paz, played by Diego Luna, a Marxist revolutionary imprisoned for his political activism, could not be further removed from Molina’s dreamy sensibility. Yet, as the trailer hints, the claustrophobic world of the prison forces them into a surprising companionship that gradually deepens into intimacy and trust.

The trailer leans heavily into the musical’s golden Hollywood aesthetic, dazzling with sequences of Ingrid Luna draped in shimmering gowns and bathed in cinematic lighting. Yet these moments of glamour are sharply contrasted with the bleak, oppressive reality of the prison cell.

This new film adaptation follows in prestigious footsteps. William Hurt’s turn as Molina in the 1985 film earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, a historic first for the portrayal of an openly queer character. The story later reached Broadway, where the musical adaptation by Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb claimed six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, solidifying its place as a queer classic across multiple mediums.

Early critical response to the new film has been strong. Rotten Tomatoes currently places it at 83%, while festival audiences have been equally enthusiastic. One Sundance attendee declared it “one of the best films I’ve ever seen,” awarding it top marks on IMDb. Another praised its “stellar costumes, direction and editing,” and compared its style to the “golden age of Hollywood.”

If the trailer is any indication, Kiss of the Spider Woman promises a vivid retelling that honours the novel’s political urgency while celebrating its enduring legacy as a landmark of LGBTQ+ representation.

The film is scheduled for release in Ireland on October 10.

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