Get ready to witness another amazing Gael García Bernal performance and transformation in Cassandro, based on the real-life story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, who rose to fame by becoming the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
The film chronicles how Saul’s love of Lucha Libre pushed him to jump into the ring, taking him on a journey where he struggled to find his place in the world of a macho sport to becoming an exótico (a male luchador who incorporates feminine elements into their wrestling, including feminine costumes), who creates the character “Cassandro.”
Despite some initial pushback, Saúl’s determination, charisma and lavish costumes catapulted Cassandro to stardom.
Bernal, whose impressive acting career has shown his wide-ranging talent in film and television from Amores perros, Babel, Coco and Museum to Mozart in the Jungle, among his many projects, is always willing to take on a challenge, and he was quick to accept this one.
In addition to Bernal, who is also an executive producer, the film features Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo, with special appearances from luchador El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known worldwide as Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Bad Bunny.
Amazon Studios dropped the first trailer and poster for the film this week, ahead of a limited theater release on September 15, 2023. It will start streaming globally on Prime Video September 22.
Cassandro fans are thrilled. The first trailer racked up almost six million views in its first four days, with fans calling him a “legend,” who put on “amazing shows” with flight jumps that generated standing ovations, and who is well deserving of a film about his life.
Cassandro was directed By Roger Ross Williams, who co-wrote the script with David Teague, consulting with Saúl Armendáriz, and produced by Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope, Julie Goldman. It was also executive produced by Paula Amor, Mariana Rodríguez Cabarga, A. Müffelmann, Matías Penachino, David Teague, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch.
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