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Beloved triple threat singer-turned-actress Jennifer Lopez is taking on what could possibly be her most physically demanding role yet in The Mother, a film that tests the limits of a mother's love against dangerous threats. As an ex-assassin, Lopez’s character is on the run from assailants who have found her weakness: the daughter she left behind years before. For the most part, all moms put their children’s safety first on their list of priorities, but for Lopez’s character, she takes her daughter's security to a whole other level. If you’re trying to hunt down information on the upcoming female-fronted action film, we’ve tracked the locations, tapped the wires, and found all the information you need to know before the film is released.
Editor's Note: This article was last updated on April 13 with the full trailer.
When and Where Is The Mother Releasing?
The Mother is currently set to arrive on Netflix on May 12, 2023. Principal photography for the powerful female-fronted action film began in October 2021, but by January, filming had to be suspended. Luckily, the break didn’t last too long as two months later, the crew was back on set on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Filming wrapped soon after and The Mother was quickly ushered in post-production, scheduled to be released in May 2023, just in time for Mother’s Day. The Mother is a Netflix original film and will only be available to view on the streaming service, making it the perfect film to watch during an evening in with your own mom. You can use the following link to head to the movie's landing page on Netflix once it's out on the streamer.
Watch The Mother Teaser Trailer
The teaser trailer, released in September 2022 by the official Netflix YouTube page, gives viewers a peek into the gripping action to come. A muscular and stony-faced Lopez can be seen doing pull-ups in the snow, peering through the scope of a rifle, and fearlessly riding a motorcycle in the forty-five-second-long preview. After finally reuniting with her daughter, Lopez may never want to let her leave her sight ever again, though the trailer alludes to her having to do just that. While the teaser gives us an idea of what the film will be about, it also creates many questions, including why Lopez’s character left her daughter all those years before, why she is being hunted down by these assailants, how they find out about her daughter, and who the daughter's father is. These questions also lead us to believe that the film will be more than an action film, but will have a complicated emotional side as well.
The full official trailer for The Mother was released on Netflix's YouTube channel on April 11, 2023. The trailer gives a much more detailed look at the film's plot than the initial teaser did as well as detailing the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the film.
Who's In the Cast of The Mother?
Jennifer Lopez will star as the mother fighting to protect her daughter. Lopez is an absolute powerhouse of talent who began her acting career with a small role in the 1986 drama film My Little Girl. She later joined the cast of In Living Color while her music career took off. In 1997, she took the lead role in the biographical drama Selena, which brought her recognition as an actress and vocalist simultaneously. The star went on to appear in "chick-flick" films such as Maid in Manhattan, Monster In Law, and Jersey Girl, as well as becoming a producer and getting into more serious dramatic roles while continuing her prolific music career. While Lopez may have begun to take on roles in darker films, The Mother may be her most thrilling, action-packed film yet. Starring as an ex-assassin who must protect her estranged daughter from the men hunting her down, Lopez can be seen driving at high speeds, straddling a motorcycle, and brandishing a sniper rifle in what looks set to be a gripping and emotional action-thriller.
Joseph Fiennes is no stranger to action flicks and thrillers. Known for his role as the titular character in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love, Fiennes has more recently appeared as the recurring character Fred Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale, Monsignor Timothy Howard in American Horror Story, and Merlin in the fantasy series Camelot. In The Mother, it is not yet known if he’s a good guy or bad, though viewers can see from the trailer that his character is dealing with blindness in one eye and facial scars that indicate a possible accident or fire in his past. This leads us to believe that Lopez’s character could potentially be responsible for these scars, hinting at his villainhood and a possible reason as to why he’s hunting her down.
Lucy Paez is the young up-and-coming actress who portrays the daughter of the titular mother. Paez’s previous acting roles were in Spanish-language thriller films Silencio and El Exorcismo De Carmen Fajas, as well as an uncredited role in the comedy series Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. In her most involved role to date, Paez will give a tearful and weighty performance as an abandoned daughter whose life is being threatened, and the only person who is able to protect her is the mother who left her behind. Additional roles will be taken on by 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).
What Is The Mother About?
When her enemies find her daughter who she had left behind years before, an ex-assassin does everything she can to get to the young teen and keep her safe from the people hunting them. Never filling the role of a mother before, this assassin has a lot to catch up on in her daughter's life, and the two have quite a bit of healing to do while they battle against gun-wielding mad men, parkour across moving traffic, and drive tiny Italian cars at break-neck speeds into the sunset. Though her daughter has been adopted (seemingly multiple times), the question that we have yet to answer is who her daughter’s biological father is. This question may lead audiences down a dark and twisted path into the character's painful past, and complicate the character’s plans to seek revenge. Another question we are left wondering is why Lopez’s character put her daughter up for adoption in the first place. Was it for her safety, or as a means to continue her career as a ruthless killer? Viewers will have to wait and see how this complicated family reunion unfolds.
The official plot synopsis for The Mother via Netflix reads:
VENGEANCE IS A MOTHER. After years of hiding out in the Alaskan wilderness, a deadly assassin returns to rescue the daughter she loved from afar. This Mother's Day - watch THE MOTHER starring Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick, Paul Raci, and Gael Garcia Bernal. Only on Netflix May 12th.
Who's Making The Mother?
The story of The Mother was written by Misha Green, who is known for her work writing for the fantasy drama series Lovecraft Country. The screenplay was adapted from the story by Green, along with Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton), and Peter Craig, who has previous experience with gripping action films, including Bad Boys: For Life, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick. The team is mostly female for this woman-powered action film, including the director, Niki Caro, whose background is mostly in dramas, including the powerful and moving film McFarland, USA, as well as the 2020 live-action reboot of Mulan. Audiences can expect Caro to bring strong, relatable emotions and captivating cinematography to the gripping film. The movie is being produced by Molly Allen, Courtney Baxter, Marc Evans, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Misha Green, Catherine Hagedorn, Roy Lee, Jennifer Lopez, Benny Medina, Liz Tan, Susan Towner, and Miri Yoon, with cinematography by Ben Seresin and film editing by David Coulson.