Bad Bunny will star in his first movie alongside Javier Bardem in René Pérez’s directorial debut, Residente | Cinema: premieres and evaluations | EUROtoday

Bad Bunny and René Pérez, identified artistically as Resident, They have rather a lot in widespread. Musicians, sure, however above all multidisciplinary artists, with nice leaps {and professional} turns of their careers, each are Puerto Rican, an id that they carry as their flag and mirror of their artwork. And now, their paths will cross, as soon as once more, with their homeland as the middle. The 31-year-old singer and up to date Super Bowl halftime performer would be the protagonist of the primary movie directed by Pérez, which shall be known as Puerto Rico. Along with him, one other distinctive protagonist, the Oscar winner Javier Bardem. This is what EL PAÍS has discovered completely.

The undertaking — which Pérez directs, writes and co-produces — continues to be in its early levels and has highly effective names in its solid. In addition to Bardem (Las Palmas, 56 years outdated), Edward Norton (Boston, 56 years outdated), protagonist of titles resembling struggle membership o American History Xwith 4 Oscar nominations; He will take part within the movie as an actor, but in addition as a producer. Viggo Mortensen (New York, 67 years outdated), triple Oscar nominee, who was Aragorn within the saga of the lord of the rings and starred A historical past of violence y Eastern Promises. The producer of the movie would be the Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu (Mexico, 62 years outdated), and the script is co-written by Residente along with the New Yorker Alexander Dinelaris (New York, 57 years outdated), who in 2015 received the statuette for Birdman. The live performance promoter Live Nation, by means of its movie manufacturing division, Live Nation Studios, can also be current within the financing of the movie.

Dinelaris and Pérez Joglar have written a function movie concerning the native island of Bad Bunny and Residente, a undertaking he has lengthy desired. Puerto Rico is a territory not included into the United States, one thing that makes its residents second-class, and never full-fledged. For instance, though they’ll take part within the Democratic and Republican primaries, they aren’t allowed to vote within the US common elections; Furthermore, they solely have one consultant in Congress, the so-called Resident Commissioner, who has a voice however no vote within the legislative department.

It appears clear that, from the title of the movie, the island and its scenario could have an enormous presence. Few particulars have emerged, however, in keeping with its creators, will probably be “an epic Caribbean western and at the same time a historical drama.” “It combines a large-scale historical narrative with a visceral and lyrical approach, in a powerful story inspired by real events,” the manufacturing firm factors out. When the Americans arrived on the island, they known as it Porto Rico (a reputation that lasted three a long time), as a result of their incapability to pronounce the title in full; That spelling of the title reveals that the historical past of the late nineteenth century shall be very current within the movie’s narrative.

“I have dreamed of making a film about my country since I was a child,” Residente, 47, defined in an announcement. “The true history of Puerto Rico 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 and Residente have collaborated on numerous events. They have completed it musically, but in addition as activists in pursuit of their native island; For instance, they have been contributors within the 2019 summer time protests in San Juan, after they participated within the overthrow of the island’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, with whom they met at his personal residence. Now they are going to go hand in hand of their first huge movie initiatives.

This shouldn’t be Pérez Joglar’s first foray into the scene. In addition to starring in his at all times cautious music movies and people of his band, Calle 13, he has made cameos on tv and movie, resembling in Two very mature kangaroos (2009). He was the protagonist of the Mexican movie In the summers (2024), which premiered on the Sundance Film Festival; and had a number one function within the jail drama Frank & Louiswhich has simply been launched. As a director, he has been on the helm of his movies, however by no means in a undertaking of this magnitude. All this side of being a creator of his works prompted him to type his personal artistic studio, known as 1868 Studios, along with Sony Music.

For his half, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, other than being one of the crucial well-liked musicians on the earth – his songs had nearly 20 billion views on Spotify in 2025; his residency in Puerto Rico has damaged data and he’s now doing best-selling live shows everywhere in the world—he has additionally made his first steps as an actor. It has appeared in his movies, in music documentaries or in Saturday Night Livehowever by no means in something of this caliber, nor in a number one function. In 2021 he made his debut within the ninth installment of the saga Fast&Furiousand likewise then appeared in 4 episodes of the sequence Narcos: Mexico, in its third season.

The following 12 months, his look within the motion movie Bullet Trainstarring Brad Pitt, whom he confronted in a spectacular bodily struggle, knife in hand. In 2023, he appeared in Cassandrothe actual story of enchancment of a Mexican wrestler starring Gael García Bernal, with whom he shared scenes. Last 12 months he participated in two initiatives, Terminal wave 2 (Happy Gilmore 2within the unique), a Netflix comedy movie with Adam Sandler; and in Stray bulletdirected by Darren Aronofsky and starring Austin Butler and Zoe Kravitz within the underworld of New York within the Nineteen Nineties.

In addition to the participation of Mortensen and Norton, there are nonetheless stars who shall be a part of the undertaking to be introduced. Norton may even be a producer, and has assured in a observe that “this film is part of a tradition of films that we love deeply, since The Godfather until Gangs of New Yorkwhich impact us with visceral drama and iconic characters and eras, but also force us to confront the shadow history that underlies the American narrative of idealism.” “Everyone knows René as a poet of language and rhythm,” he continued, “now they will also see the visual visionary that he is. And reuniting him with Bad Bunny to tell the true story of Puerto Rico’s roots will be like a flame finding the stick of dynamite that was waiting for it.”