▁a ▁w ides p read ▁publication ▁in ▁Spanish . ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁considered ▁for ▁a ▁film ▁adaptation ▁by ▁various ▁direct ors , ▁including ▁R ainer ▁Werner ▁F ass b inder . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Argent ine - born ▁director ▁H é ctor ▁B aben co ▁was ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁to ▁accept ▁an ▁award ▁from ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Film ▁Crit ics ▁Association ▁for ▁his ▁break out ▁feature ▁film , ▁P ix ote . ▁At ▁the ▁reception , ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁critic ▁Kevin ▁Thomas ▁asked ▁B aben co ▁about ▁his ▁future ▁projects , ▁and ▁the ▁director ▁mentioned ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁adapt ▁Pu ig ' s ▁novel , ▁st arring ▁B urt ▁Lanc aster . ▁The ▁actor ▁was ▁in ▁attend ance ▁at ▁the ▁event , ▁and ▁Thomas ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁B aben co . ▁▁ ▁When ▁Lanc aster ▁expressed ▁interest , ▁B aben co ▁initially ▁assumed ▁he ▁was ▁dis ingen uous , ▁but ▁promised ▁to ▁send ▁him ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁Several ▁days ▁later , ▁Lanc aster ' s ▁assistant ▁tele phon ed ▁B aben co ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁K iss ▁of ▁the ▁Spider ▁Woman ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁mail , ▁and ▁the ▁director ▁sent ▁it ▁right ▁away . ▁The ▁two ▁met ▁in ▁the ▁coming ▁weeks ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Crit ics ’ ▁award ▁ceremony , ▁and ▁Lanc aster ▁committed ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Mol ina . ▁ ▁B aben co ▁met ▁American ▁producer ▁David ▁We is man ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁through ▁a ▁mut ual ▁friend