Jennifer Lopez’s Kiss of the Spider Woman Delivers What William Hurt’s 1985 Film Didn’t

Jennifer Lopez just dropped a musical take on Kiss of the Spider Woman, and yeah, everyone is immediately stacking it up against the 1985 version with William Hurt. The old one is a classic for a reason. The new one makes some clear upgrades. And the big conversation right now is basically: which one actually does the story better, and what does this say about where Hollywood is with representation?

The big swing this time: casting that actually fits the story

The source material is rooted in South American culture, so putting Jennifer Lopez front and center is not only star power, it actually lines up with the character and the world. On top of that, the rest of the cast is largely from the same cultural background. They could have stacked this with a bunch of familiar American faces and called it a day. They didn’t. That’s progress.

Contrast that with the 1985 film, which put William Hurt—an American actor—in the role of Molina. That was a very 80s move, and it worked for the film’s dramatic goals, but it wasn’t exactly about cultural authenticity. The 2025 version, by design, leans hard into identity and spectacle in ways the original didn’t.

Does Hurt’s version still have the edge?

Short answer: depends what you want out of this story.

Hurt won an Oscar for his performance, and that movie earned its reputation on tight, character-driven drama—oppression, unlikely friendship, political weight. It’s intimate and tense, and it holds up.

The new film is a straight-up musical and dives into the visual fantasy of the Spider Woman sequences. It’s lush, it’s glamorous, it’s big. Critics have flagged some bumps, though: the tone can wobble, and the gear shifts between the gritty prison reality and the extravagant dream numbers aren’t always smooth.

Scorecard

• Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985): Rotten Tomatoes 86% critics, 81% audience
• Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025): Rotten Tomatoes 76% critics, 68% audience

If you’re here for emotional tension and political heft, the 1985 film probably wins your night. If you want scale, glamour, and songs—Jennifer Lopez’s version is built for that.

What the new one says about Hollywood right now

This is where 2025’s take really lands. Casting Lopez as the Spider Woman isn’t a stunt—it’s a choice that aligns the movie with the cultural world it’s depicting. Even from the trailers, she looks dead-on for it: big-screen presence, emotional gear changes, and the musical chops to sell the fantasy. Those sequences with her in striking costumes are made to pop.

Also, it’s overdue: leads matching the story’s ethnicity shouldn’t be the exception, and representation shouldn’t be relegated to side characters. The industry is slowly getting closer to what global audiences expect and doing a better job honoring the cultures these stories come from.

So, can Lopez’s version ever replace the 1985 classic? Maybe not replace—but it makes a legit case for a different kind of definitive.

Where to watch

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) is streaming on HBO Max. The 2025 musical is in theaters now in the U.S.