March 31 marks 27 years since the death of iconic Texas singer Selena Quintanilla, but her popularity and legacy live on like never before. In honor of that legacy, the movie inspired by her life is returning to the big screen.
An announcement on the late star's official social media pages revealed that the Selena movie will return to theaters beginning Thursday, April 7. Exact locations and showtimes for the re-release have not yet been announced.
A quick search of Fort Worth-area theaters shows it's playing at Southlake's new EVO Entertainment venue and theater at 7 pm April 7.
The movie news came on March 21, 25 years since the film was released in theaters nationwide. The film, which was primarily shot in San Antonio, was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2021.
Born in Lake Jackson, Texas, Quintanilla was a Tejano superstar headed for crossover success when she was shot and killed by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, in Corpus Christi in 1995.
Jennifer Lopez, who starred in the film as the queen of Tejano, celebrated the movie on Twitter:
"This movie means so much to me. Selena and her family mean so much to me, and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her," Lopez wrote. "I'll never forget this time in my life and it's an honor as an artist to have been part of the magic that is this movie."
Ever since Spider-Man became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character’s stand-alone movies have been notable for maintaining their own vision despite having to service the larger MCU storyline. The emotionality of the series reached its high point in No Way Home by bringing back two former Spider-Mans - Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield - to assist Tom Holland in a multiversal storyline.
The heart displayed in that film is superseded by Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in which Peter Parker (Holland) is now alone in the world following the events of the previous film. For years, he has done his best to stay busy by stopping in-progress crimes and checking in with Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas), but the twin traumas of losing Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and forcing girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batolon) to forget him still weigh heavily on him.
Almost simultaneously, Peter starts experiencing a change in his physiology and is challenged by a new threat who has a power he does not know how to defeat. As he struggles with both of those things, he asks for help from a variety of sources, including Professor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and - despite not knowing who he is - MJ and Ned, who are now roommates in New York following their college years at MIT.
Directed by Dustin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (who have written each of the Holland Spider-Man films), the movie has a near-perfect blend of comic book spectacle and small-scale intimacy. Spider-Man’s ability to swing through New York’s urban landscape with ease provides plenty of opportunities for great action sequences, but the character’s focus on keeping the streets safe and finding a way back to his friends makes the story still feel manageable.
This is aided by the decision to not go overboard with the MCU connections. Bruce Banner/Hulk and a member of the New Avengers show up, but in relatively small roles. The Punisher makes the leap from TV to the movies, and the interaction between him and Spider-Man feels organic. So too does the super-secret villain, whose impact is felt well before they ever show up on screen thanks to a power that is as mysterious as it is effective.
While the action is abundant in the film, the filmmakers lean on emotion much more than most other comic book movies. Peter’s journey back to a semblance of a normal life is well-earned, with his reconnection with MJ and Ned slow-walked in an admirably subtle way. And in the final act, when CGI battles typically take over, the interior lives of Peter and other characters play as much a role in what happens as anything they do physically.
Holland, who tends to take criticism for non-Spider-Man roles, remains the ideal actor for the role. His open-heartedness makes him relatable, his athleticism makes him believable, and he crushes the heavier moments. He and Zendaya, who are now married in real life, work tremendously well together, and Batalon is a fun third wheel. Other standouts include Bernthal, Colón-Zayas, Trammell Tillman, and Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink.
From beginning to end, Spider-Man: Brand New Day now owns the title as best movie in the current Spider-Man universe. By maintaining connections to past movies, solidly incorporating new characters, and pointing to the future without making it the whole story, it demonstrates a model for how comic book movies should be done.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31.
