Rapper Bad Bunny (Benito Martínez Ocasio) has been announced as the lead actor in 'Porto Rico,' an epic Caribbean western and historical drama inspired by the life of 19th-century Puerto Rican revolutionary José Maldonado Román. The film will be directed by René Pérez Joglar (Residente), marking his feature directorial debut. The cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Javier Bardem, and Edward Norton, with Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu executive producing. The script was co-written with Alexander Dinelaris, who co-wrote 'Birdman.'
The announcement came roughly two weeks after Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show, which drew approximately 128.2 million viewers, generated 4 billion social media views in 24 hours, and sparked both praise and political controversy. His performance featured Spanish-language music, Puerto Rican cultural imagery, and concluded with a statement naming countries across the Americas. President Trump publicly criticized the choice of Bad Bunny, and a Republican lawmaker suggested the performance may have violated FCC indecency rules. An FCC commissioner reviewed the transcripts and found no violation.
Separately, Bad Bunny's single 'DtMF' reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first predominantly Spanish-language song by a solo act to top the chart. He also recently won Album of the Year at the Grammys for 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' the first Spanish-language album to win that award.
A counter-programming 'Great American Halftime Show' headlined by Kid Rock was organized by Turning Point USA during the Super Bowl. A poll indicated most Trump voters did not watch the alternative show, and roughly 29% of those who claimed to watch it named networks that did not air it.
