Jennifer Lopez's This Is Me...Now - Trailer, Release Date, Plot, And More Info
Two decades ago, Jennifer Lopez took the pop zeitgeist by storm with "This is Me...Then," an album that immortalized her as "Jenny From The Block" and featured other hit singles like "All I Have" and "I'm Glad." The album went double platinum, and marked the last time Lopez topped the Billboard charts in the U.S. Lopez has gone through a lot as an artist and a person over the last 20 years; she's released several more albums, starred in films like "Hustlers" and "Marry Me" (also "Gigli," but we don't need to talk about that), co-headlined a Super Bowl halftime show, judged "American Idol," and done a Las Vegas residency.
Oh, and she also recently married Ben Affleck, who tabloids had framed as her long lost love ever since the pair ended their first engagement in 2004. We don't usually dig into celebrities' dating lives here at /Film, but in this case, the Affleck of it all matters. A song-and-dance version of Lopez's wedding features prominently in the first teaser for "This is Me...Now," a new album that's set to drop with an accompanying film of the same name on Prime Video. What else should we expect from this album-inspired "cinematic experience"? Here's everything we know.
When does This is Me...Now premiere?
The film version of "This is Me...Now" (which is also being called, appropriately, "This is Me...Now: The Film") is set to drop on Amazon's Prime Video on February 16, 2024, the same day Lopez's full album goes live. The Valentine's Day weekend release seems fitting for an artist who's made her movie career with some great rom-coms, and the rain-soaked, starry-night sensibilities of the teaser match the romance vibe as well.
A year ago, Lopez shared a short teaser for "This is Me...Now" to Youtube, in which her cover album from 2002 transformed to reveal the artist in the present day. That promo didn't specify that the new project, which press materials call a "sister album" to "This is Me...Then," would be both a film and a record. It also teased the tentative release year as 2023, but given the production value on display in the latest promos, it's a good thing that the movie took the time to get everything just right.
The first single from the upcoming album, "Can't Get Enough," will also drop ahead of the film and full album on January 10, 2024.
What are the plot details of This is Me...Now?
Press materials for "This is Me...Now" describe the film as "A narrative driven, intimate, reflective, sexy, funny, fantastical and highly entertaining musical and visual reimagining of [Lopez's] publicly scrutinized love life." While it's unclear at this point whether "This is Me...Now" will function as a full visual album or something closer to a short or feature-length film, it sounds like it'll be musical and autobiographical. The project has also been described as "a heartfelt ode to JL's journey of self-healing and everlasting belief in fairytale endings."
Based on the first teaser alone, "This is Me...Now" looks like it'll combine classic musical aesthetics (there's a sequence that looks like something straight out of "Singin' in the Rain") with genre-blending interpretations of Lopez's life. At one point, as she burns a love letter from 2002 in a luxurious high-rise (while wearing an equally luxurious dress), a hummingbird taps meaningfully on her window. Another quick shot reveals her in a steampunk-style room full of clocks and machines, wearing a red jumpsuit while dancers around her move in hazmat suits. What does it all mean? We probably won't know until the film drops in February.
Who is in the cast of This is Me...Now?
So far, Lopez is the only announced cast member for "This Is Me...Now?" but a press release for the project teases "star-studded cameos." If this movie is going to be a reflection of the past 20 years of Lopez's love life, it's possible we could see appearances from several friends, family members, or exes (or popular actors playing them), or from her husband Ben Affleck. This is pure speculation at this point, as the specific cameos have not been revealed, but Yahoo has reported that Affleck is a co-writer on the project.
IMDb currently credits rappers Fat Joe and Sean Paul as cast members in the film appearing as themselves, although it's unclear if they will act on screen or simply be featured in the music that viewers hear. The album's first single, "Can't Get Enough," samples Paul's song "I'm Still In Love With You," per Vibe. Fat Joe has worked with Lopez before, appearing as a featured artist on the 2000 track "Feelin' So Good."
Who is the director of This is Me...Now?
"This is Me...Now?" is directed by prolific music video director Dave Meyers, who has worked with artists including Harry Styles, Janelle Monae, Missy Elliott, Billie Eilish, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Drake. He's also previously worked with Lopez on multiple videos, including "I'm Real," "I'm Gonna Be Alright," "All I Have," and "The Real Me."
Believe it or not, Meyers previously directed the gnarly 2007 remake of the horror classic "The Hitcher," as well as the 1999 comedy "Foolish." He's made some musical-narrative mashups that don't quite fit under the music video label, too, like Mariah Carey's "The Keys of Christmas" in 2016. Judging by Meyers' considerable music video bona fides, "This is Me...Now: The Film" will certainly be a memorable spectacle. Lopez herself also seems to be very involved with the making of the project, as evidenced by the press materials reading: "Along with director Dave Meyers, Lopez creates a genre-redefining immersive cinematic experience."
Has This is Me...Now released a trailer?
The first teaser for "This is Me...Now" dropped on November 27, 2023. It's only 37 seconds long, but the promo spot gives us a good sense of what the film will be like — sweeping, epic, and unashamedly romantic. "When I was a little girl, when someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always 'in love,'" Lopez says in voiceover while sitting fireside in a rain-soaked gown. She tosses love notes into the fire in her elegant but empty high-rise, until a hummingbird taps on her window.
From here, we're just given snapshots of sequences from the film: a motorcycle gliding over a mirrored, wet surface, a little girl beckoning for us to follow her to the edge of a building, Lopez swinging around a light pole in the rain. There's also a massive ensemble in what looks like a love factory (a sign in the background says "Heart Stats" and they seem to be making rose petals). Interestingly, the trailer also includes quick shots of what look like two weddings, perhaps reflecting one of Lopez's previous marriages. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot, she wears a flower crown and an orange dress, surrounded by people in white who herald her arrival. In the next, she's in a white dress with huge heart cut-outs, dancing alongside a groom or wedding party member in red. Intriguing!
All will be revealed when "This is Me...Now" hits Prime Video on February 16, 2024.