The Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny is taking a new step in his artistic career by starring in a feature film for the first time. The artist will star the film Porto Rico, an ambitious historical drama that seeks to explore the identity, memory, and political history of the Caribbean island through a large-scale cinematic perspective.
The film will be directed by fellow Puerto Rican singer and producer Residente, who makes his debut as a film director with this project, considered one of the most significant of his creative career. The production is presented as a deeply personal work, conceived as an artistic reflection on Puerto Rico’s colonial past and its impact on the construction of contemporary national identity.
Porto Rico, the film starring Bad Bunny
The film is set in the late 19th century and recreates a decisive period in Puerto Rico’s history. The story follows the life of revolutionary Jose Maldonado Roman, known as “Aguila Blanca,” a historical figure linked to resistance movements against colonial rule.
Within the narrative, the character undergoes a personal and political transformation that leads him to organize an armed group made up of men marginalized by society.
Together, they embark on a struggle that reflects the social, identity-based, and territorial tensions of the time. The story blends elements of historical drama with an aesthetic inspired by the western genre, adapted to a Caribbean setting.
The screenplay was developed by Residente alongside Alexander Dinelaris, Academy Award winner for Birdman, strengthening the project’s international profile. The production also features Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu (director of The Revenant and Amores Perros) as producer.
The cast additionally includes renowned global film figures such as Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton, and Javier Bardem, positioning the film as a high-level artistic and technical production.
Speaking about the project, Residente shared his personal motivation in an official statement: “I’ve dreamed of making a film about my country since I was a child. The true history of Puerto Rico has always been surrounded by controversy.”
The artist, a multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, has also developed a career as an actor in productions such as In the Summers and Frank & Louis.
Bad Bunny’s definitive leap as a leading actor
For Bad Bunny, this project represents a new professional milestone. Although he has previously appeared in audiovisual productions, this will be the first time he takes on the narrative leadership of a large-scale film.
Apart from Bad Bunny being a star at the film Porto Rico, the artist had already ventured into acting with roles in the series Narcos: Mexico and in films such as Bullet Train, Fast & Furious, Cassandro, and Happy Gilmore 2, experiences that marked his gradual transition into cinema.
The production of Porto Rico is shaping up to be a significant acting challenge, placing him within a historical narrative with strong political and emotional weight.
The project is still in development and does not yet have an official release date. However, since its announcement, it has generated strong anticipation within the entertainment industry and among audiences, who are closely watching the collaboration of influential figures from music and film in a production that promises to combine history, identity, and cinematic ambition.