Grammy award winner Bad Bunny bags first leading film role in Residente’s Historical Drama titled Porto Rico

For Bad Bunny, the project represents his first time leading a major film.

• Residente to direct PORTO RICO, a historical drama on Puerto Rico
• Bad Bunny stars in his first leading film role
• Viggo Mortensen, Bardem, and Norton join the star-studded cast

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Puerto Rican superstars Residente and Bad Bunny are joining forces for an ambitious original historical drama centered on the story of their homeland.

The project, titled PORTO RICO, will mark a major creative milestone for both artists.

As per The Associated Press, René Pérez Joglar — the Grammy-winning artist globally known as Residente — is set to make his feature directorial debut with the film. Meanwhile, Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will take on the leading role in what is being described as a star-studded production. The cast already includes acclaimed actors Viggo Mortensen, Javier Bardem, and Edward Norton.

“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 in a statement. “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are — told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”

The film is being positioned as an “epic Caribbean Western and historical drama” inspired by real events. Residente co-wrote the screenplay alongside Alexander Dinelaris, the Oscar-winning writer behind Birdman.

For Bad Bunny, the project represents his first time leading a major film. Though he has previously appeared in supporting roles in films such as Happy Gilmore 2 and Caught Stealing, this marks a significant step into headline territory.

The global music icon also recently made headlines with his historic Super Bowl halftime performance, where he celebrated Puerto Rican culture and heritage on one of the world’s biggest stages.

Behind the scenes, the production is backed by several influential industry figures. Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu is attached as an executive producer, and the project has support from Live Nation Entertainment. Details regarding the film’s shooting schedule or release date have not yet been disclosed.

Edward Norton has also signed on as a producer, offering high praise for the vision behind the film. In a statement, he said the project “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.”

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He added, “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.”

With major creative forces both in front of and behind the camera, PORTO RICO is shaping up to be a landmark cinematic collaboration rooted in cultural identity and historical storytelling.