Bad Bunny Takes First Lead Acting Role in Historical Drama 'Porto Rico'
Fresh from his record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance, global music sensation Bad Bunny is set to make his debut as a leading man in the highly anticipated historical drama Porto Rico. The Grammy-winning artist will star alongside Hollywood heavyweights Edward Norton, Javier Bardem, and Viggo Mortensen in this cinematic love letter to Puerto Rico, directed by veteran rapper René "Residente" Pérez Joglar.
A Star-Studded Production with Deep Roots
As first reported by Deadline, the film boasts an impressive creative team, with Academy Award-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu serving as executive producer. The project has been in development since 2023 and centers on the life of José Maldonado Román, a revolutionary figure from the late 19th and early 20th centuries known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle).
Maldonado Román fought against Spanish colonizers in Puerto Rico and led significant uprisings against colonial authorities. In 1897, he participated in the Yauco Uprising, where approximately 300 rebels attempted to storm Spanish civil guard barracks. This historic event marked the first public raising of the modern Puerto Rican flag on the island.
The Revolutionary Subject and His Legacy
Despite being imprisoned multiple times between 1898 and 1909 for his political activities, Maldonado Román earned a reputation as a "magician" for his remarkable ability to escape from jail. His story represents the complex, often controversial history of Puerto Rico's struggle for identity and autonomy.
"I have dreamed of making a film about my country since I was a child," Residente told Deadline. "Puerto Rico's true history has always been surrounded by controversy. This film is a reaffirmation of who we are – told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves."
Bad Bunny's Expanding Film Career
While Bad Bunny has appeared in supporting roles over the past decade, including the 2022 action thriller Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt and Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing with Austin Butler, Porto Rico represents his most significant film project to date. His transition to leading man comes at the peak of his musical career, following a Super Bowl halftime show that drew 128.2 million viewers and generated over 4 billion social media views.
A Cinematic Vision with Historical Significance
Edward Norton expressed his enthusiasm for the project, noting: "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 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."
The film promises to blend historical scope with what producers describe as "a visceral, lyrical approach and a gripping narrative inspired by true events." This collaboration between two of Puerto Rico's most prominent cultural figures – Bad Bunny and Residente – represents a significant moment in Caribbean cinema, bringing an important chapter of Puerto Rican history to global audiences through the lens of its own artists.
