Puerto Rican musician Residente appears to have confirmed that filming has begun on Porto Rico, his directorial debut and a film that gives Bad Bunny his first leading movie role. The Calle 13 co-founder posted an Instagram Story showing a production slate for the project, though he stopped short of a formal announcement. The development marks a significant step for Bad Bunny's acting career and for Residente's transition into filmmaking, with an accomplished cast and crew attached to the project.

The slate named René Pérez Joglar (Residente's real name) as director and Anthony Dod Mantle as cinematographer. Porto Rico is billed as a Caribbean Western and historical drama set in Puerto Rico, with Bad Bunny leading a cast that includes Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton and Javier Bardem, while Alejandro G. Iñárritu is executive producer. Residente has said Bad Bunny originally wanted only a small role before taking the lead, adding "it feels perfect." Filming appears to have started shortly after Bad Bunny concluded his "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" world tour with two San Juan shows on 22 and 23 August, a run that sold more than three million tickets across 55 shows in 22 cities.