Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bill Condon says his new adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman is both a deeply personal project and a deliberate tribute to the golden age of Hollywood musicals.

Speaking to Smile FM, Condon described the film – now showing in South African cinemas – as a more faithful return to the original 1976 novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig, rather than a remake of the 1985 movie, which earned William Hurt an Academy Award for his performance.

Condon has reworked the 1992 Broadway musical adaptation and also directs this latest version, which stars Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna and Tonatiuh.

In the interview, Condon spoke about what it was like working with Lopez and discovering what he calls “a new star in the making” in Tonatiuh, who plays the pivotal role of Luis Molina.

The new version, he explains, is a conscious throwback to classical Hollywood musicals, with full-length performance sequences, long takes and no reliance on camera tricks or short takes all edited together.

Condon also revealed that his next project – which is currently untitled – will be shot in South Africa and will explore the controversy surrounding Paul Simon’s Graceland album.

Kiss of the Spider Woman follows two unlikely cellmates in an Argentinian prison during a military dictatorship – Luis Molina, a gay, apolitical man obsessed with movies, and Valentín Arregui, a committed left-wing revolutionary. To survive the brutality around them, Molina recounts elaborate fantasy musicals, blurring the line between escape and reality.

Listen to the full interview below: