It seems like everyone wants a piece of Maluma these days, but the 25-year-old Colombian superstar has played hard to get when it comes to making the transition to the big screen. The singer has been picky in turning down possible crossovers — but an offer to be paired with Jennifer Lopez has caught his attention.
Despite reports that the singer and rapper — who was introduced to the American market by Madonna after collaborating on her song “Medellin” — is confirmed to make his movie debut opposite Lopez in Universal’s rom-com “Marry Me,” he has not officially signed on to the project yet, according to his rep. The film is scheduled to begin production in New York this October. Coincidentally, Maluma has plans to be in town: He’s playing Madison Square Garden on Oct. 4. But that’s just one of 21 dates on the North American leg of his “11:11” world tour to promote his fourth album of the same name.
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According to those reports, Maluma has been cast as the much younger fiancé of 49-year-old Lopez, who plays a pop star in “Marry Me.” Their wedding is set to take place at, yes, Madison Square Garden (which experienced a blackout during Lopez’s recent tour date there). That is, until she learns that her beloved has been cheating on her.
And while Maluma, speaking to Variety last week, did confirm that he is “absolutely” interested in acting, he’s still in the process of deciding what his first project will be. One thing is certain, however — it won’t be on Netflix. “I want to do it the right way,” Maluma says of his transition from singer to actor. “The first step I want to do is a main character, something big, something Hollywood, maybe. You know, something huge.” And Netflix is technically the small screen, after all. “I had some proposal from Netflix,” Maluma says. “They wanted me to be part of some TV show. But I said no because I really want to do it in the right way.”
“Marry Me” sounds like the right kind of offer, but evidently it’s not the only one Maluma is mulling over. “We have several proposals now, and maybe I’ll have a few surprises before this year ends,” he says. (According to his rep, he is planning to sign on to play the future Mr. Lopez later this week, so the studio must have made Maluma an offer he couldn’t refuse following those premature reports that it was a done deal.)
Maluma, who was born Juan Luis Londoño Arias, previously appeared in the YouTube documentary “Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré” (“Who I Was, Who I Am, Who I Will Be”), which was released on June 5.