“Everyone was excited to see this world through the eyes of the women,” says Lorene Scafaria, who is perhaps the first female director of a stripper movie from a major studio She shot the film with a gaze that doesn’t sensationalize the performers’ body parts. But “Hustlers,” based on a New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler, is an empowering story about dancers who take their destinies into their own hands. On the surface, thongs and stripper poles might seem to go against the tide of a Hollywood that champions gender equality in the #MeToo era. This fall, Lopez is poised to have her own “Erin Brockovich” moment with the release of “Hustlers.” Playing the ringleader of a New York strip club during the 2008 financial crisis - think “The Wolf of Wall Street” with women - Lopez not only stars in the film but also produced it with her company Nuyorican Prods., surrounding herself with a strong ensemble that includes Cardi B, Lizzo, Julia Stiles and Keke Palmer. “I just need to be ready to do that.” And she’s recording new music for her next vehicle, “Marry Me,” a Universal Pictures comedy about a pop star who has to navigate fame in the social-media age. “To star and direct is going to take a year or two out of my life,” says Lopez with a hint of dread. She’s thinking about directing her first movie with the upcoming drama “ The Godmother,” in which she has the lead role, for STX Entertainment. In fact, Lopez is still looking for ways to expand her reach.
Instead, she made herself into a quadruple threat: a dancer-producer-singer-actress who, in addition to tentpole movies, went on to sell more than 10 million albums in the U.S., according to the RIAA, as well as anchor TV shows both as on-air talent (“Shades of Blue,” “American Idol”) and behind the scenes (“ World of Dance”). Throughout her 20s, she was told by agents that she couldn’t sing and act and would have to pick one or the other, but Lopez refused to choose. Starting with her breakout role in 1997’s “Selena,” for which she became the first Latina actress to earn $1 million, Lopez subsequently played the lead in Steven Soderbergh’s critically acclaimed drama “Out of Sight” and romantic comedy favorites “Maid in Manhattan” (opposite Ralph Fiennes) and “Monster-in-Law,” in which she sparred with Jane Fonda. “Her touring background is not that extensive or deep.”īut Lopez’s screen credits are vast. “We didn’t realize that 50,000 people would show up in Tel Aviv or 30,000 in Moscow,” says Lopez’s longtime manager, Benny Medina, of his only client. Lopez’s set was packed with her greatest hits, from ’90s bangers such as “Waiting for Tonight” to early 2000s staples “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and “I’m Real,” as well as 2011’s massive “On the Floor” collaboration with Pitbull. From June to early August, she performed 38 shows at mostly sold-out venues around the world, grossing an estimated $54.7 million. Indeed, her latest tour was proof that Lopez’s star is still ascending.
“When you’re that high up, people are always going to try to knock you down. “She represents resilience,” says Constance Wu, who appears with Lopez in her upcoming movie “ Hustlers,” due in theaters Sept. And she says she’s found happiness in her personal life with Rodriguez (aka A-Rod), a relationship that she often chronicles on social media for her 140 million followers, an astounding number that exceeds the entire population of Japan. Now, at 50, she’s never been more formidable as an entertainer or more ferocious as a businesswoman. Although the haters and tabloids have tried to stop her in her tracks, she’s continued to reinvent herself. “And I was like, ‘That’s not the point.’ The point is this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of these people, and I’m not going to do this show ever again. “They said, ‘Insurance will pay for it they’ll refund everybody,’” Lopez says. When Lopez got home, three of her young family members - her daughter, Emme her niece, Lucie and Rodriguez’s daughter Ella - tried to cheer her up by serenading her with the classic song “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” But Lopez only felt better after she’d devised a solution, rescheduling a makeup performance for two nights later.