Fire up tthe oven: J. Lo is hot about The Boy Next Door

By Fernie Ruano Jr.

It’s premise all too conventional, The Boy Next Door, the cougarlicious, R-rated thriller starring Jennifer Lopez opening this weekend, might leave moviegoers asking a tired question: Haven’t we seen this already?

But the 45-year-old, ‘Next Door’ producer, Lopez, who dons spec glasses and fitted suits, when she’s not rolling around over satin sheets naked as Claire Peterson, a recently separated teacher drawn in by her hunky next door neighbor Noah (Ryan Guzman), is optimistic about the lasting impact the low-budget ,Universal release can have in the box office, especially since it was produced in 23 days and features two “Latinos":.

“It’s definitely mainstream, but as a producer I feel great because I believe I picked the best actor for the role,” said Lopez during a phone interview last week in Miami. “And I don’t know if a big studio would have made this movie that we would have had two Latinos opening in it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgbBwovOOoc&feature=player_embedded

Despite the film’s early reviews, Lopez, who unprovoked said the $4 million produced film included talent sharing one trailer and no craft service, thinks a successful run  for The Boy Next Doorwould allow her more freedom as a producer, which she would use to cast more Latinos, among other things.

“It would do incredible things for us if the Latino community went out to get behind (this movie),” said Lopez. “It would definitely allow us to pitch making more movies this way and to tell our stories. And as passionate as I am about this industry, that to me is extremely exciting.”

Lopez, who struck up a much publicized relationship with young backup dancer Casper Smart after her divorce from singer Marc Anthony, believes a lot of middle-aged women searching for themselves are easily lured by younger men because they are at their most vulnerable point in life.

While not alluding to any of her previous relationships, Lopez hinted at having to deal with a lack of confidence in recent years.

“You know, a lot of women have trouble dealing with their husband’s cheating on them and not feeling desirable,” said Lopez. “We’ve all been there and that’s why I felt I understood Claire.”



The Boy Next Door, directed by Rob Cohen and also featuring Kristen Chenoweth and John Corbett, opens nationwide Friday, January 23.

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