Both are singers who rose from the poorest sectors of their country, Puerto Rico.
Both have risen from their own trenches to conquer the music world with alternative proposals that challenge the establishment. And both love their country — unapologetically and without holding back.
And now, their paths will cross once again, with their homeland at the center.
Bad Bunny will star in his first film alongside Javier Bardem in the directorial debut of René Pérez, known as Residente.
The singer and recent Super Bowl halftime performer, 31, will star in the first film directed by Pérez, titled Porto Rico. Alongside him will be another exceptional lead, Academy Award winner Javier Bardem.
The project — directed, written, and co-produced by Pérez — is still in its early stages, but the cast already includes Hollywood heavyweights. In addition to Bardem, Edward Norton, 56, known for films such as Fight Club and American History X and a four-time Oscar nominee, will also be involved as both actor and producer. Viggo Mortensen, 67, a three-time Oscar nominee who played Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and starred in A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, will also appear in the film.
The union between Residente (René Pérez Joglar) and Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) represents one of the most powerful artistic alliances in urban music, strengthened by their shared social activism and deep commitment to the fight for Puerto Rican rights and just causes on the island.
Both artists have used their global platforms to shed light on the island’s challenges, highlighting the following actions:
- In the summer of 2019, both led protests and mobilized aid efforts following the devastation left by a hurricane. They demanded the resignation of then-Governor Ricardo Rosselló, becoming leading voices of the movement.
- Through their songs, music videos (such as “El Apagón”), and performances, they have addressed displacement, infrastructure privatization, and Puerto Rico’s colonial status.
- Bad Bunny has been recognized as a symbol of dignity for a new generation, advocating for Puerto Rican pride and resistance.
- The impact of “La Residencia” (2025): Bad Bunny’s historic concert series on the island not only generated massive economic impact ($379M–$560M), but was described as a political statement of “not wanting to leave” and reinvesting in the country.
Despite political controversies sparked by their positions with certain government sectors on the island, both artists have reaffirmed their commitment to Puerto Rico’s identity and future.
The film will be produced by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, and the script is co-written by Residente alongside New Yorker Alexander Dinelaris, who won an Oscar in 2015 for Birdman. Concert promoter Live Nation, through its film production division Live Nation Studios, is also involved in financing the feature.
Dinelaris and Pérez have written a feature film about the homeland of both Bad Bunny and Residente — a long-held dream project for Pérez.
Puerto Rico is considered an unincorporated territory of the United States, a status that leaves its citizens as second-class rather than full citizens. For example, although they can participate in Democratic and Republican primaries, they cannot vote in general elections; they have only one representative in Congress, the resident commissioner, who has a voice but no vote in the legislative branch.
