Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, more widely known as Bad Bunny, is making his debut as a lead actor in the upcoming film Porto Rico.
Ocasio is starring in the film directed by Grammy-winner René Pérez Joglar (known as artist Residente), who is also making his directorial debut. The cast also includes heavyweight names like Viggo Mortensen, Javier Bardem, and Edward Norton.
Joglar co-wrote the script for Porto Rico with Alexander Dinelaris, the Oscar-winning screenwriter known for Birdman.
The film will be a historic epic and a love letter to Puerto Rico, where both Ocasio and Joglar are originally from. According to Deadline, the movie “blends historical scope with a visceral, lyrical approach and a gripping narrative inspired by true events.”
“I have dreamed of making a film about my country since I was a child. Puerto Rico’s true history has always been surrounded by controversy,” Joglar said. “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are—told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”
Norton, who is also a producer for the project, praised his collaborators, saying, “Everybody knows what a poet of language and rhythm René is. Now they’re going to see what a visual visionary he is as well. And bringing him and Bad Bunny together to tell the true story of Puerto Rico’s roots is going to be like a flame finding the stick of dynamite that’s been waiting for it.”
Residente announced his project on Instagram today, praising his cast and crew, and the historians from Puerto Rico who assisted him in telling the story. He also addressed his pride in and love for his home, thanking Bad Bunny for sharing that pride and for embarking on the project with him.
The announcement comes on the heels of Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl performance. While the show drew the ire of MAGA, it was touted as a legendary celebration of Latin culture and artistry.
