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The upcoming film unites two of Puerto Rico’s Grammy-winning stars, Bad Bunny and Residente, for a historical epic about their home country
Fresh off the success of his Super Bowl halftime show performance, Bad Bunny is ready to swap the stage for the big screen. The singer-songwriter, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is set to play the leading role in the historical drama, ‘Porto Rico.’ He will share the screen with acclaimed actors like Edward Norton, Viggo Mortensen, and Javier Bardem, as per Deadline. Bad Bunny will team up with Puerto Rican rapper Residente (René Pérez Joglar), who will make his directorial debut with this film. Residente has co-written the screenplay with Alexander Dinelaris, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of ‘Birdman.’
Residente penned a note on Instagram on February 19, and addressed Bad Bunny, as he said, as translated by Google Translate, “To Benito for taking the plunge with me to do his first leading role because, as I told him, ‘I’m not looking for an actor, I’m looking for someone who feels Puerto Rico as deeply as I do and who is as proud as I am when they sing our true anthem.'” The historical epic was first announced in February 2023, Deadline exclusively reported. At the time, the outlet mentioned that the movie is inspired by the life of late-19th century Puerto Rican revolutionary, José Maldonado Román, also known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle). He led a gang of ex-convicts in Puerto Rico’s fight for independence from colonial rule. While it’s unclear if any changes have been made to the original story, viewers are in for a gripping watch.
Residente shared why telling this story is important to him by saying, “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. This film is a reaffirmation of who we are — told with the intensity and honesty that our history deserves.” Norton, who serves as the film’s producer, compared ‘Porto Rico’ to classic films like ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Gangs of New York’ in the news release. The four-time Oscar nominee praised the collaboration between Bad Bunny and Residente, saying, “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. And 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.”
