Musicians have long mixed their skilled artistry with the magic of cinema by way of concert films. While those have been produced for some time now, we seem to be going through a bit of a boom when it comes to those kinds of productions. Most recently, both Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have been dabbling in that sphere. The former recently marked the release of The Eras Tour film, while the latter has Renaissance (which we have details on) hitting theaters this week. Well, it would appear that another songstress is following in their movie footsteps, as Jennifer Lopez has her own production on the horizon. However, she’s doing it her own way.
For some time now, JLo has been teasing her new album and, this week, she officially announced it along with a release date. This Is Me…Now – her first studio album in over a decade – is officially set to be available on February 16, 2024. But that’s not all, as the singer has also teamed up with Amazon MGM Studios and Nuyorican Productions for This Is Me…Now: The Film, which is a movie that’s “inspired by the music.” If that weren’t exciting enough, that flick is set to be released on the same day as the album. According to the press release, the feature is “a narrative driven, intimate, reflective, sexy, funny, fantastical musical and visual reimagining of [Lopez’s] publicly scrutinized love life.” A further description of the project reads as follows:
Along with Director Dave Meyers, Lopez creates a genre-redefining immersive cinematic experience: an extravagant visual and sonic feast with impressive choreography, star studded cameos, costumes, sets and blockbuster-worthy visuals. Although an astonishing vivid spectacle, the film is ultimately a heartfelt ode to JL’s journey of self-healing and everlasting belief in fairytale endings. Audiences will be captivated and leave hopeful that true love can be more than a dream.
The first bit of footage from the production, which can be seen above, teases an ambitious piece of work on Jennifer Lopez’s part. And it would make sense that the star would want to pull out all the stops for this one. Not only is it her first studio compilation in a decade, but it also serves as a sister album to 2002’s This Is Me... Then. Lopez actually believes that album prophesized her relationship with Ben Affleck, so it holds a special place in her heart. All in all, releasing a film to coincide with the release of the new music seems like a smart move.
What is somewhat surprising is that the “Jenny from the Block” performer opted not to negotiate a deal for this production to play on the big screen. While not a sure thing, the movie could’ve seen some success there. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour broke box office records during its opening weekend and is now one of the most profitable productions of the year. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé is also in the position to do some solid numbers. Still, what may have factored into the decision for JLo’s project is that hers isn’t a straight-up concert flick but one with a direct narrative.
Regardless of what the reasoning behind the decision was, it’s likely that plenty of the iconic singer’s fans are going to be delighted to see the film and of course, hear the album. It goes without saying that Jennifer Lopez has gone through a considerable number of changes in her professional and personal lives since she dropped This Is Me... Then. It seems her latest musical companion pieces are going to heavily draw from the various experiences she’s had over the past several years. If that description and footage are any indication, we’re in for some truly raw and emotion-evoking art.
So be sure you have a Prime Video subscription so that you can check out This Is Me…Now: The Film when it drops. You can also look forward to the release of Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which opens on December 1 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
