Jennifer Lopez's epic rom-com return feels like true love in first Marry Me preview

Jennifer Lopez is making music and (slightly awkward) love in her first romantic comedy in nearly 10 years (yes, 2018's Second Act is actually a workplace dramedy/light family melodrama) in the official Marry Me trailer.

The global icon fronts the upcoming musical as international superstar, Kat Valdez, whose engagement and planned on-stage marriage to a Casanova singer (Maluma) careens out of control when she discovers — along with the rest of the world — a paparazzi video that shows him cheating on her with her assistant. Not about to be outdone by her cheating beau, Kat improvises and selects an unsuspecting math teacher, Charlie (Owen Wilson), from the audience at the show to tie the knot with instead.

In the trailer below, Kat and Charlie navigate the ups and downs of each other's lives (intense public scrutiny and social media chatter, including jokes in a Jimmy Fallon monologue on national TV) to comedic effect — while the musical segments serve as a serious vocal showcase for the 52-year-old's talents.

"We both did this, so whether we like it or not, we're in this together. We have to embrace the spontaneity of the moment. I don't want to be the punchline," Lopez tells Wilson in the clip. Later, as their courtship intensifies, Wilson asks her to accompany him to his school dance after she visits his classroom to give the children a few lessons in performing: "I could put a note in your locker!" he jokes.

"I remember being sent the script and I thought, wow, it feels in some way so timeless and classic," director Kat Coiro tells EW of the film, which she likens to old-school Hollywood musicals of bygone eras with a modern twist.

"I think they find a love that is very genuine, but it's also a love that comes with a lot of baggage, that is natural when you reach a certain age," she says. "You can see that she's gained something from being with him."

Though Lopez (whose Hollywood career has largely been noted for beloved romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan) and Maluma end up at odds in the film, the real-life friends collaborated on an entire album of music to accompany the film. Lopez dropped the latest preview of the album Thursday as she debuted a new ballad, "On My Way," alongside the trailer.

Lopez and Maluma first previewed the Marry Me soundtrack album back in 2020, when they dropped a steamy two-part music video for soundtrack singles "Pa Ti" and "Lonely."

Marry Me — also starring John Bradley, Chloe Coleman, and Sarah Silverman — releases Feb. 11 in theaters. Watch the first trailer above.

Marry Me
Marry Me

Barry Wetcher/Universal Pictures Jennifer Lopez falls for Owen Wilson in 'Marry Me' trailer.

Hear more on all of today's must-see picks in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.

Related content:

Advertisement