Cameras are officially rolling in the Dominican Republic on Porto Rico, the feature screenwriting and directing debut of René “Residente” Pérez Joglar. The film is led by Benito “Bad Bunny” Martínez Ocasio, alongside Viggo Mortensen and Edward Norton, with a sprawling supporting cast that includes Rhenzy Feliz, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Richard Gadd, Daniel Brühl, Latin music icon Rubén Blades, Alberto Guerra, Marcel Ruiz, Arian Cartaya, Óscar Jaenada, Carmen Machi, and Luis Tosar.
Written by Alexander Dinelaris and Pérez Joglar, Porto Rico is billed as an epic Caribbean western and historical drama inspired by true events, blending sweeping historical scope with a lyrical narrative exploring Puerto Rico’s origins. The screenplay draws on the life of 19th-century Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca, or White Eagle, who led a group of ex-convicts against colonial rule as the island fought to define its identity. The story extends into the 1898 U.S. takeover of Puerto Rico from Spain, which saw the island renamed Porto Rico.
Character details for the supporting cast haven’t been disclosed, though Norton and Mortensen, both fluent Spanish speakers, are reportedly playing roles tied to their countries of origin, and Jaenada, Machi, and Tosar join as three of the production’s Spanish-born cast members.
Behind the camera, the creative team includes cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, production designer David Crank, and costume designer Anna Terrazas, all previous award winners or nominees. Pérez Joglar and Erick Douât produce through 1868 Studios, alongside Norton, Bill Migliore, and Michael Bederman for Class 5 Films, and Kwanza Jones for Supercharged Studios.
The project is backed by Live Nation Studios and Class 5 Films, with additional strategic partners including the José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones Initiative, Mike and Sukey Novogratz, Henry R. Muñoz III, Ric Elias, Noah Assad, HarbourView Equity Media Group, Talipot Studio, and Wieden+Kennedy Entertainment. Alejandro G. Iñárritu executive produces alongside a broad group that includes Michael Rapino, Ryan Kroft, Stella Bulochnikov, Scott Budnick, Feliciano, the Novogratzes, Assad, Muñoz III, Elias, Sherrese Clarke, Niija Kuykendall, Regina Solórzano, and Lakshmi Iyengar. UTA Independent Film Group is handling sales.
The film marks a significant scale shift for Bad Bunny, who has previously taken supporting roles in projects including Bullet Train, Fast X, Cassandro, and Happy Gilmore 2, but is now stepping into his first true leading film role.