Does the world really need rival films chronicling the life, agony and artistry of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo?
Jennifer Lopez clearly does not think so. The actress-turned-singer-turned-fashion-statement has decided against portraying Kahlo in a Francis Ford Coppola-produced biography, opting instead to negotiate a $10 million paycheck for the crime drama, Taking Lives, according to Variety.
Lopez‘s decision means she will not square off against Selma Hayek, who will portray Kahlo in another version of the artist’s life-this one from director Julie Taymor. Alfred Molina, Edward Norton, Ashley Judd and Geoffrey Rush will costar in Taymor‘s production, which Miramax recently greenlit.
If Lopez signs on for Taking Lives, she will play an FBI profiler assigned to track down a serial killer known for assuming his victims’ identities. Production is scheduled to start in the fall or following the threatened actors’ strike, once it is averted or settled. Jon Bokenkamp adapted the screenplay from a novel by Michael Pye.
The future of Coppola‘s Kahlo biography, a United Artists’ production that has Luis Valdez attached to direct, remains unclear. Lopez was in discussions to star in the film but had not signed a deal, according to a Coppola spokeswoman, who did not know the film’s status.
A United Artists spokesman did not return calls for comment.
Kahlo overcame polio and a serious car crash to become one of Mexico’s most famous artists. She married Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, but boasted of many affairs with both men and women, including Communist leader Leon Trotsky. In 1953, she fell into a deep depression and became suicidal after she had her right leg amputated below the knee due to a gangrene infection. She died in 1954 of unknown causes.
This past year, Lopez has established her box-office appeal while enjoying front-page status because of her relationship with onetime beau, rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs, and the flesh-baring gowns she wears to award ceremonies. Combs–who was recently acquitted on gun and bribery charges–announced in February that he and Lopez had ended their two-year relationship.
Despite drawing lackluster reviews, The Cell and The Wedding Planner each earned approximately $60 million at the U.S. box office. Lopez made history in January when The Wedding Planner opened at No. 1 during the same week that her second album, J.Lo, landed in the top spot on the Billboard charts. Her next film, Angel Eyes, will open May 18. She plays a Chicago police officer who must deal with past secrets when she falls in love.
