Starring J.Lo, Lizzo, and Constance Wu, the new film reassesses the agency of sex workers.

One of the fall&rsquo;s most buzzed-about attractions, writer-director Lorene Scafaria&rsquo;s Hustlers, is based on the true-life tale of a New York City-run ring of strippers who swindled wealthy clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, a story first reported in New York Magazine by Jessica Pressler. The juicy story and all-star cast has created hype among mainstream circles and New York insiders alike, and with surging box office numbers and a lot of headline-worthy debate&mdash;think sex workers weighing in on the film&#39;s portrayal and PETA sending a faux fur coat to Jennifer Lopez after seeing her wear a real one&mdash;the film is bound to remain a prominent cultural fixture this weekend and throughout this fall.

With a cast that includes the likes of Lopez&mdash;who is also one of the film&rsquo;s producers&mdash;as well as Cardi B, Lizzo, and Constance Wu, the film has all the right ingredients for&nbsp;a blockbuster. But Showgirls&nbsp;this is not. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen the strip club in every single TV show and movie, but everyone is so far from their perspective,&rdquo; Scafaria notes, speaking of the film&rsquo;s subjects.

67360663_2092138341092139_4212600399333862604_n.jpg

67404093_2450526321830250_3438792572238963766_n.jpg

67582193_511299596313960_6558012278091713916_n.jpg

At its heart, Hustlers is, for Scafaria, &ldquo;a stripper movie about capitalism, a movie about single moms trying to survive.&rdquo; She goes on to note, &ldquo;It felt like a movie about gender roles and how they relate to the economy, and more.&rdquo; When it came to casting the film, Scafaria&rsquo;s choices are part of what makes Hustlers so buzzworthy, but they are also very true to life. Lopez&mdash;playing the films de facto stripper matriarch, Ramona&mdash;hails from the Bronx. And fellow Bronx native, Cardi B, who also stars in the film, has been very vocal about her time as a stripper before becoming the reigning Queen of Rap. As Scafaria tells it, &ldquo;I had been chasing Cardi for the role for two years.&rdquo; To be sure, Hustlers is a film that explores a very complex, highly charged subject matter, but as Scafaria observes, alongside the important conversations it&rsquo;s sure to spark, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s also a really entertaining ride.&rdquo;

Everyone is Talking About 'Hustlers' Thanks to Lorene Scafaria's Buzzworthy Choices

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

A Crazy Rich Shopping Guide Inspired by Crazy Rich Asians

Fashion

Jennifer Lopez Will Receive the 2019 CFDA Fashion Icon Award

Music

Lizzo and Charli XCX Unite for "Blame It on Your Love"

Recommended posts for you

Fashion

Van Cleef & Arpels Charts 'Treasure Island' in New High Jewelry Collection

Pop culture

7 Things To Know About 'Emily in Paris' Star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu

Fashion

An Inside Look at Thom Browne’s 10,000 Hour Creations for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

Beauty

Spring/Summer 2025 Hair Trends: The Best Looks Straight From the Runway

Pop culture

Charli XCX Takes on New York in Style Ahead of Saturday Night Live

Pop culture

F1's Hottest Drivers, On and Off The Track

Fashion

New NYC Store Openings in 2024

Film & TV

Everything to Know About the New 'Dune' TV Series, a Must-Watch