Biographical film about gay wrestler “Cassandro”, starring Gael García Bernal and Bad Bunny, gets a trailer

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The platform of streaming service Prime Video released the official trailer this week for “Cassandro”, a biographical film that tells the story of Saúl Armendáriz (53), a gay “Lucha Libre” wrestler from El Paso (Mexico), who gained international fame after stepping into the ring as the drag queen persona, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre”.

Directed by filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, the original production features Gael García Bernal in the role of Cassandro, also known as “El Exótico”, and the rapper Bad Bunny in the cast. In Brazil, the release is scheduled to premiere on the Amazon platform on September 22nd.

Watch the trailer:

“As a filmmaker, my own life experience drives me to tell inspirational stories about the marginalized and elevate the voices of people we don’t typically see on screen. Cassandro’s, Saúl Armendáriz’s, true story was one I knew I wanted to tell from the moment I met him. I look forward to bringing Saúl’s story to a wide audience.”, Williams shared this with Deadline channel.

GAEL GARCÍA AND BAD BUNNY’S GAY KISS

In March, some images from the feature film were already circulating on Twitter with frames of Bad Bunny kissing the character played by actor Gael García Bernal. The film had been screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year.

“My first kiss in a movie, and it was with a man,” the puerto rican singer said in an interview with TIME magazine. “This is the penalty I receive for being with so many women throughout my life,” Bunny joked.

The puerto rican artist also mentioned that he sees it merely as a job, one he takes seriously. “”If you’re acting, you’re being someone you’re not,” he said.”So when they asked me to do this, I said, ‘Yes, I’m here for whatever you want’, he added. I thought it was really cool, I didn’t feel uncomfortable“, the singer commented.

Cassandro in “Lucha Libre”

At the age of 15, Saúl Armendáriz dropped out of school and began training for Lucha Libre, starting his professional career in 1988 under the name Mister Romano. Later on, the Mexican wrestler performed as Baby Sharon before adopting the name Cassandro.

In January 1991, following a negative response to news that he would be facing El Hijo del Santo for the UWA World Heavyweight Championship, Armendáriz attempted suicide by cutting his wrists with a razor blade. After several quiet years, Cassandro returned to the mainstream lucha libre scene in December 2005, joining the top Mexican promotion, Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA), and starting a rivalry with his former partner, Pimpinela Escarlata.

He was featured in an article by The New Yorker, in 2016, titled “How Drag Queen Cassandro became a star of Mexican wrestling.”