If there’s one Puerto Rican who continues to dominate global headlines, it’s Bad Bunny. Fresh off a Grammy win and a show-stopping Super Bowl halftime performance, the 31-year-old superstar is now ready to make his mark on the big screen.
Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio) is set to take on his first lead acting role, starring in Porto Rico alongside Javier Bardem and Edward Norton. The film, described as a “love letter” to the singer’s homeland, will be directed by Puerto Rican rapper Residente (René Pérez) and executive-produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu of Birdman (2014) and The Revenant (2015) fame.
‘A reaffirmation of who we are…’
According to reports, Porto Rico has been in development since 2023 and is partly inspired by the life of José Maldonado Román, a revolutionary from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle), Maldonado Román led uprisings against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico.
Director Residente called the film deeply personal, telling Deadline: “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are, told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves. 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.”
The film also stars Viggo Mortensen and promises a sweeping narrative that merges politics, identity, and rebellion.
Edward Norton calls the film ‘a flame finding the stick of dynamite…’
Actor Edward Norton, who joins the ensemble cast, drew comparisons between Porto Rico and some of cinema’s greatest epics. “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,” he 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,” Norton added. “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.”
From chart-topper to Hollywood star
Bad Bunny has previously made small-screen appearances in Hollywood projects, including Bullet Train alongside Brad Pitt and Caught Stealing with Austin Butler. However, Porto Rico marks his first leading role — a significant step for the global music icon.