Residente will be teaming up with Bad Bunny on a historical drama about Puerto Rico.
The film, titled Porto Rico, sees Residente (born René Pérez Joglar) making his directorial debut and Bad Bunny (real name Benito Martínez Ocasio) in his first leading film role.
Porto Rico, which is described as “an epic Caribbean western and historical drama,” also stars Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton, and Javier Bardem, while Academy Award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu has signed on as executive producer.
Bardem, a native of Spain, and American actors Norton and Mortensen are portraying characters tied to their home countries, according to Deadline. Norton and Mortensen are both Spanish speakers, with the latter having lived in Argentina for many years in Argentina.
Additional casting details will be announced at a later date.
Residente, a 34-time Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, co-wrote the screenplay with Birdman screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris. The narrative was previously described as a historical drama set in the late 19th century concerning the life of Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román, a figure who led a gang of ex-convicts to fight against colonialism.
The film's title refers to the anglicized spelling of the island's name that was imposed under U.S. rule from 1900 until 1932.
“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,” Residente said in a press statement. “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are—told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”
“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 said, per a press release. “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.”
The film is set to be produced by 1868 Studios and Class 5 Films and backed by Live Nation Studios, among others.
The news comes after Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance on Feb. 8, which drove a 245 percent increase in flight searches to Puerto Rico compared to the previous year.
