Bad Bunny Lands First Starring Film Role in Porto Rico with Edward Norton, Javier Bardem, Viggo Mortensen

Bad Bunny will make his debut as a leading man in Porto Rico, a historical Caribbean epic that co-stars Edward Norton, Javier Bardem, and Viggo Mortensen.

As Deadline reports, the movie will be written and directed by René “Residente” Pérez Joglar, a four-time Grammy-winning rapper whose tally of 29 Latin Grammy Awards is more than any other Latin artist. Residente, 47, has directed half-a-dozen documentaries as well as several music videos. Porto Rico will be his feature debut, with executive production from Oscar-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman).

“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 statement. “This film is a reaffirmation of who we are — told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.”

An early version of the script, co-written by Birdman scribe Alexander Dinelaris, was said to be about the Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román, aka Águila Blanca, or White Eagle. Maldonado fought against colonization in Puerto Rico as part of the Cuban Liberation Army in the late 19th century. It is not known if Porto Rico still follows that outline. A press release says the film “blends historical scope with a visceral, lyrical approach and a gripping narrative inspired by true events.”

Bad Bunny, born Benito Ocasio, has previously co-starred in Bullet Train and Caught Stealing, and his October hosting stint on Saturday Night Live garnered rave reviews. And if you just woke up from a coma, he also performed the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which drew the fourth-largest audience in the history of the Big Game.