Superstar Jennifer Lopez will take on the role of a real-life Colombian drug lord.
The Ain’t Your Mama hitmaker, who just turned 50, is set to produce and star in the drug lord drama The Godmother for STXfilms.
And the singer-actress is also reportedly considering The Godmother for her directorial debut, according to a source, writes Variety.com.
JLo will portray Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, who was also known as The Godmother.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/JLo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLo, #GodmotherMovie! https://t.co/WAHrpCrLeG pic.twitter.com/ZowlBcvHcb
— STX Entertainment (@STXEnt)
According to BangShowbiz, Griselda was part of the Medelling cartel and “a pioneer in the Miami-based cocaine drug trade”. She held sway in the underworld from the 1980s to the 2000s.
Blanco is said to have outsmarted the male-dominated drug trade to rise from her impoverished childhood in Colombia and became one of the world’s biggest drug lords, writes Channel24.
As a key figurehead in the Miami Cocaine Cowboy Wars, Blanco was reportedly worth more than $2 billion before she was killed in Colombia in 2012.
FIGURE: Drug lord Griselda Blanco. Picture: AP
“I’ve been forever fascinated by the story of Griselda Blanco and jumped at the chance to play her on screen,” said Lopez. “She is all things we look for in storytelling and dynamic characters - notorious, ambitious, conniving, chilling. In a genre dominated by legendary kingpins, I’m eager to shine a spotlight on this anti-hero and excited to partner with STX for the third time so we can bring this compelling, complicated story to life.”
JLo will co-produce with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina and Julie Yorn.
STXFilms chairman Adam Fogelson said, “We love working with Jennifer, Elaine and Benny. They are extraordinary producers and we value their partnership and trust. This is an epic true crime story that Jennifer is passionate about telling and we can’t wait to begin production on ‘The Godmother’ with her and her team.”