When Marry Me debuted in 2022, it seemed like the beginning of the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy renaissance. Lopez is known for her breakout cinematic performance in Selena, a biopic about the internationally revered Latin American singer Selena Quintanilla. From there, she starred in several action films (Enough, Out of Sight) and many romantic comedies. Over time, her rom-com career symbolized early 2000’s cinema. Fans of Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, Shall We Dance, The Back-up Plan, and many more titles can safely assume that the next Jennifer Lopez film is a feel-good romantic comedy.

That is unless her next film marks her long-awaited return to gritty, action-thriller films. Like her 2002 film Enough, The Mother features Jennifer Lopez as a woman pushed to the limit by incomprehensible violence. However, instead of a victim of domestic violence pushed to the edge, Lopez is a brutal, cunning, protective assassin with her daughter’s life on the line. Ahead of The Mother’s May 2023 premiere, here’s everything to know.

The Mother: Plot

The Mother tells the story of a deadly female assassin with an elusive, shadowy identity. She appears to have lived in isolation, forever evading the shadows of her past. She was living a life on the run from what is implied to be contract killers, but they found her ultimate weakness: a daughter she had given up years before. While she intends to keep her daughter safe from a life of crime, violence, and danger, she has no choice but to step out of the shadows.

The teaser trailer shows a montage of Lopez training to reenter the world she left behind. She resumes her strength and conditioning regime alongside snowy, desolate target practice. One thing is clear: she was (and remains) a talented, cunning threat to all who cross her path. She appears to be preparing for the fight of her life against her daughter’s violent pursuers, but that’s not the only conflict she will have to confront. Lopez must face her daughter and attempt to reconnect in some way, shape, or form. Whether she tries to make up for “lost time” or simply protects her daughter from afar, she must face yet another shadow from her past.

As the teaser trailer concludes, there is a brief clip of Jennifer Lopez fighting off dangerous assailants in brutal, fast-paced action sequences. When the action dies down, Lopez says, “If there’s trouble, come find me.” It’s safe to say that Lopez doesn’t just protect her daughter once–she teaches her to survive and offers her ongoing protection, should her daughter ever need it.

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The Mother: Cast and Crew

Netflix

The film stars Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers, The Wedding Planner), Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale), and breakout star Lucy Paez. The remainder of the cast includes Omari Hardwick (Kick-Ass), Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), Paul Raci (Sound of Metal), Jesse Garcia (The Avengers), and Yvonne Senat Jones (Sneakerella).

Niki Caro directs The Mother after recently directing Disney+’s live-action Mulan remake. Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) wrote the original screenplay, with Peter Craig handling the most recent revisions. Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith Thomas, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Benny Medina, and Marc Evans serve as producers, with Molly Allen serving as executive producer.

This is a joint production between Nuyorican Productions, Vertigo Entertainment, and Great Lakes Pictures LLC.

The Mother: Release Date

Netflix

The film is set to premiere exclusively on Netflix on May 12.

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The Mother: Everything Else

Netflix

The Mother marks Lopez’s latest project with Netflix as part of her first-look and production deal. Lopez announced her partnership with the streamer in a 2021 Deadline publication.

“I am excited to announce my new partnership with Netflix. Elaine, Benny and I believe there is no better home for us than a forward leaning content creation company that seeks to defy conventional wisdom and directly market to the millions across the globe who no longer view art and entertainment with the kind of boundaries and limitations of the past. We at Nuyorican Productions are thrilled to find like-minded partners in Ted Sarandos, Scott Stuber, Bela Bajaria and the whole team and look forward to getting to work right away.”

After premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, Netflix released Halftime. This documentary details Lopez’s historic Super Bowl halftime show with Shakira, her 2021 presidential inauguration performance, and her Hustlers Academy Award campaign. In addition to Halftime, Jennifer Lopez is scheduled to star in a Netflix murder-mystery adaptation of The Cipher, a bestselling book by Isabella Maldonado. Outside of her upcoming Netflix projects, Lopez is set to star and produce the science fiction thriller Atlas with Rampage director Brad Peyton.

The Mother is reportedly inspired by The Professional, a cult-classic 1994 espionage thriller. The film tells the story of Leon, a professional hitman, and Mathilda, a twelve-year-old girl whose family was recently murdered. The two characters strike up an unlikely partnership, with Mathilda desiring the life of a hitman and Leon his hardest to shelter her from his world. They take on an almost father-daughter relationship as the two characters cling to each other amid violent chaos. The Professional walks a balanced line between combat sequences and compelling, personal relationships and character development. With that in mind, The Mother will likely explore the unique dynamics between Jennifer Lopez and her estranged daughter. Would her daughter want to live the life of her mother? Would Jennifer Lopez steer her away from the life of a contract killer, or would she rejoice in the opportunity to share something with her daughter?

The film was initially announced in February 2021, with production in Vancouver later that year. However, production and distribution were suspended due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After an arduous three-year production schedule, The Mother is finally scheduled for release — right in time for Mother’s Day. You can watch in on Netflix when it’s released.