The Big Picture
Gael García Bernal embodies the larger-than-life persona of Lucha Libre star Cassandro with his exquisite outfits and captivating performance in this glamorous biopic. Cassandro’s journey from a masked runt to a famed drag wrestler defying norms and becoming the people’s champion is a captivating and inspiring story. Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams skillfully brings Cassandro’s story to life, with Bernal delivering one of his best performances that captures the essence of the wrestler and the man.
All the spotlights are on Gael García Bernal’s Liberace of Lucha Libre as Cassandro is just one month away from hitting theaters. The glamorous biopic will follow the titular Mexican wrestler Saúl Armendáriz who upends both his life and the macho world of wrestling as he dons his exciting new persona to international fame. A new image courtesy of Total Film offers another glimpse at the legendary “exótico” as he enters the ring to his many adoring fans. The real-life Cassandro never lacked for incredible outfits and Bernal once again looks the part with a jacket of red and gold over his gold leotard.
In the new image, he waves to the crowd with a massive smile on his face, soaking in the adoration as he prepares to enter the ring once again. Both spotlights in the background ensure that all eyes are on the wrestler who captured the attention of the Lucha Libre world upon debuting his showstopping persona. Bernal, coming off of celebrated turns in The Mother and Werewolf By Night, looks primed to give the gay icon the gravitas he deserves if this latest shot is any indication.
Before becoming Cassandro, Armendáriz started crossing the border to Mexico to wrestle as El Topo, a masked runt frequently brought in as a jobber for bigger, better, and more popular opponents. Desperate to be a star, he works with his fierce new trainer Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez) to develop an exótico persona that can’t be ignored. Releasing Cassandro into the world flips Lucha Libre on its head as the drag wrestler defies his usual lot and becomes the people’s champion in the ring. His rapid ascension to superstardom also shakes his life to his foundation as it inevitably affects his relationships with his mother and his secret lover. See the new image below.
Who Is Bringing the Story of Cassandro to Life?
Academy Award and Emmy-winning director Roger Ross Williams takes the reins for Cassandro with a script co-written by David Teague and a cast to die for including not only the BAFTA-nominated Bernal and A League of Their Own star Colindrez, but also Perla De La Rosa as Saul’s mother Yocasta, Joaquín Cosío as Lorenzo, and Raúl Castillo as Gerardo/El Comandante. Grammy-winning artist and Bullet Train star Bad Bunny rounds out the cast as Felipe alongside Lucha Libre star El Hijo Del Santo who’s no stranger to starring in projects involving his fellow luchadores.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Cassandro has been lauded with praise, especially for the performance of Bernal who captures the multifaceted nature of both the wrestler and the man. Collider’s Ross Bonaime gave the film a B in his review, saying, “Williams’ story of coming out and acceptance is both riveting and often touching, and Bernal gives quite possibly his best performance in this beautiful story of finding yourself and becoming who you were always supposed to be.” It may be one of Bernal’s most challenging performances as well as he detailed in an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff how he not only had to convey Cassndro’s “joyful” essence but also his skills in the ring with Lucha Libre training that left him completely exhausted.
Cassandro will release in select theaters on September 15 before streaming exclusively on Prime Video on September 22. Check out our previous interview with Bernal from Sundance below.
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