Bad Bunny is continuing to develop his acting career. The singer and Puerto Rican icon has landed his most personal project yet, starring in the lead role of "Porto Rico," an upcoming movie directed by his fellow Puerto Rican musician René Pérez Joglar, commonly known as Residente.
© Getty ImagesThis marks Residente's feature debut, and is described as an "epic Caribbean western" inspired by true events and Puerto Rico's origin, according to Variety. It was written by Residente and Alexander Dinelaris, a frequent collaborator of the Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, having co-written films like "Birdman" and "The Revenant."
“I have dreamed of making a film about my country since I was a child," said Residente in a statement. "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.”
In 2023, Deadline reported that Residente and Dinelaris had been working on the screenplay based on the life of José Maldonado Román, a 19th-century Puerto Rican revolutionary who fought against colonialism by leading a gang of ex-cons.
According to the reports, the film will be led by Bad Bunny and will also feature performances from stars like Javier Bardem, Viggo Mortensen, and Edward Norton. The latter is also one of the film's producers.
© Penske Media via Getty Images“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,” said Norton.
“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.”
Bad Bunny's experience as an actor
© FilmMagicLast year, in an interview published on Billboard, Residente and Bad Bunny talked about Bunny's career, taking a second to discuss his acting work. "It’s different, but I’ve told you before, acting is something I’ve wanted to take on carefully," said Bad Bunny.
"I’ve loved the experience of acting so far, especially the most recent films," he continued, name-checking his most recent projects.
"I’ve always loved comedy — it’s the genre I consume the most, and I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh. So getting the chance to do something lighthearted and fun, like 'Happy Gilmore,' was a dream. And then, at the same time, I was working on 'Caught Stealing,' which was a totally different vibe."
© Netflix
