Residente Is Directing Bad Bunny in “Porto Rico” and the Cast Is Actually Wild
Residente and Bad Bunny are about to take Puerto Rico from playlist to big screen.
According to Deadline, René “Residente” Pérez Joglar has locked in his feature directorial debut with Porto Rico. It’s an epic Caribbean western and historical drama led by Benito “Bad Bunny” Martínez Ocasio in his first leading film role. And yes, the cast is stacked. Think Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton, and Javier Bardem are also set to star, with Alejandro G. Iñárritu executive producing.
Residente and Bad Bunny are turning Puerto Rico into cinema
This project has been simmering for a minute. Deadline reported that the film was originally developed as a historical drama co-written by Residente and Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris. And early descriptions linked it to Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca. Whether the new version sticks to that exact storyline remains unclear. But the official announcement calls it a project that “blends historical scope with a visceral, lyrical approach and a gripping narrative inspired by true events.”
Residente made the intention crystal clear in his statement, shared by multiple outlets. “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.” He added, “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are — told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”
That title, “Porto Rico,” is doing a lot on purpose
The name alone reads like a history lesson you can’t scroll past. According to Deadline, “Porto Rico” nods to the anglicized spelling used under U.S. rule from 1900 to 1932, before Congress officially reverted to the Spanish spelling. That choice signals what kind of film this wants to be: grounded in identity, loaded with political memory, and ready to pick at the parts of history people love to smooth over.
Residente and Bad Bunny have the receipts for this moment
Even without a release date, the timing feels loud. The Guardian notes this news arrives right after Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime moment, and Deadline framed the film as a “love letter” to Puerto Rico coming on the heels of a performance built around Puerto Rican culture and history.
Also, Bad Bunny stepping into his first leading role is historic: we’ve seen him act, but this puts him at the center of the story.
This cast is a “wait, are we serious?” lineup
Edward Norton is not showing up quietly. According to The Associated Press, he described the film as part of a tradition “from ‘The Godfather’ to ‘Gangs of New York’” that forces audiences to confront “the shadow story under the American narrative of idealism.”
Then Norton went full poetry about the pairing at the center of this: “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.”
Meanwhile, according to Deadline, Bardem, Norton, and Mortensen will play roles tied to their respective countries of origin, and the outlet notes that Norton and Mortensen are fluent in Spanish, with Mortensen having lived in Argentina for years.
Residente and Bad Bunny are backed by serious power players
This isn’t a scrappy side project. According to Deadline and the AP, the film has backing from Live Nation Studios, with Residente producing through 1868 Studios, his Sony Music joint venture focused on culturally driven storytelling. Norton is also producing through Class 5 Films, per the same reports.
Translation: they’re building this to travel. Globally.
