Residente To Direct Bad Bunny In Historical Epic ‘Porto Rico’, With Edward Norton, Javier Bardem And Viggo Mortensen Also Cast

Bad Bunny is starring in the historical drama “Porto Rico,” marking his first leading film role after memorable appearances in “Bullet Train” with Brad Pitt and director Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing.”

via: Deadline

Multihyphenate and 34-time Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning rapper René “Residente” Pérez Joglar has set his feature directorial debut with a love letter to his native island of Puerto Rico.

The film, titled Porto Rico, is an epic Caribbean western and historical drama led by Benito “Bad Bunny” Martínez Ocasio (Bullet Train, Caught Stealing) in his first leading film role. The main cast also includes Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, Captain Fantastic), Edward Norton (American History X, Birdman) and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). Multi-Oscar-winning director and producer Alejandro G. Iñárritu executive produces.

As Deadline announced in 2023, when Porto Rico was in development, Residente and Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman) co-wrote the screenplay, which at the time was described as a historical drama based on the life of Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle), set on the island in the late 19th century. Maldonado Román fought against colonialism by leading a gang of ex-convicts to vindicate Puerto Rico as it sought its identity as a country.

Whether the film will follow the original storyline above is as yet unknown. A release for the movie touts that the project “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,” Residente said. “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are — told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”

The project reveal arrives following Bad Bunny’s smash hit Super Bowl halftime show performance earlier this month, February 8, with his own tribute to Puerto Rico, where he was born in 1994. Every layer of his performance was intimately woven with the fabric, food, and festive spirit of the Boricua people. The show, which was watched by 128.2 million viewers, has spiked flight searches to the island by 245% from February 8-11 in comparison to the same dates last year, according to Expedia.

Although Residente and Bad Bunny are generations apart, they’re kindred spirits in their love of country, community, and their passion to protect both through activism.

Although details are scant at this time, there are plenty of clues within the official announcement.

A quick history lesson: Puerto Rico (translation: Rich Port) was named by the Spaniards, who colonized the Caribbean island, originally known as Borikén by the indigenous Taino people who preceded the Spanish, in 1493. Spain ceded sovereignty in 1898 after losing the Spanish-American War, with the Caribbean island becoming a U.S. territory on December 10, 1898. Its citizens were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 via the Jones Act, albeit without the will of the people.

Under U.S. rule, Puerto Rico was known as Porto Rico, an anglicized spelling of the island’s name, from 1900 to 1932, when Congress passed an act officially reverting its name to the Spanish spelling.

Bardem, a native of Spain, and American actors Norton and Mortensen are playing roles connected to their respective origin countries, we hear. It’s worth noting that Norton and Mortensen, the latter of whom spent many years living in Argentina, are fluent in Spanish.

“This film sits in a tradition of films we deeply love, from The Godfather to Gangs of New York, that both thrill us with visceral drama and iconic characters and eras while also forcing us to face up to the shadow story under the American narrative of idealism,” Norton said. “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 and Erick Douât produce the pic for 1868 Studios, launched by the former through a multi-year joint venture with Sony Music Latin-Iberia and Sony Music Vision. The production company develops, produces, and globally distributes original content centered on authentic, culturally driven storytelling with a commitment to elevating Latin culture and bringing Latin stories to global audiences.

Norton and Bill Migliore, alongside Michael Bederman, produce for Class 5 Films. The production banner has produced features and documentaries, including The Painted Veil and Motherless Brooklyn, as well as the Emmy-winning By the People: The Election of Barack Obama.

Porto Rico is backed by Live Nation Studios, Class 5 Films and strategic partners including the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, Mike and Sukey Novogratz, and Noah Assad. Iñárritu executive produces alongside Scott Budnick through his shingle 1Community (Just Mercy, Respect), Mike Novogratz, Sukey Novogratz, José E. Feliciano, Kwanza Jones, Henry R. Muñoz III and Assad. UTA Independent Film Group is representing sales.

Residente is represented by Erick Douat. Bad Bunny is represented by UTA and his manager, Assad. Mortensen is represented by UTA and Goodman, Genow, and Schenkman. Norton is represented by UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Bardem is represented by WME and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.