Grammy-winning Latin artist Ozuna is set to bring his personal history to the big screen in ODISEA, a feature film that will see the reggaeton and trap superstar portray himself in his life story.
ODISEA, named after the Puerto Rican singer’s chart-topping 2017 debut album, is the first project he will release under his production company Bear with Oz Films. Spanish filmmaker Alexis Morante, who won a Latin Grammy for directing the documentary What I Was Is What I Am, is set to direct; watch the teaser for his documentary about revered Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz above.
“The feature film depicts a story of triumph, inspired by the life of one of the most transcendental figures of Latin music at a global level today,” the synopsis of ODISEA states. “The plot tells the story of how Jan Carlos became ‘Ozuna’ throughout a life full of ups and downs — both personally as well as in his musical career, marked by lessons, setbacks, overcoming, love, and above all, a lot of humility and perseverance.”
Ozuna recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the project’s concept and the work put into the film.
“ODISEA is a project that we worked on with great dedication with the goal that my story can serve as an inspiration to children and young people to not stop pursuing their dreams, and never give up until they achieve them,” he said in an interview. “We all have the ability to do it despite the obstacles that we face along the way. I am a living example of that.”
Ozuna made a splash in the Latin music scene almost a decade ago, leading to a contract with Sony Music Latin in 2017. Since then, he has launched 29 Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including five No. 1 singles. He’s also had five No. 1s on the Top Latin Albums chart, where ODISEA spent 46 weeks on top of the chart. He is a two-time Latin Grammy winner.
ODISEA was filmed in the Dominican Republic, New York and Puerto Rico, where the 32-year-old was born and raised. It marks Ozuna’s sixth film role, following parts in F9, Tom and Jerry, Father of the Bride, Que León and Que Leones; the soundtrack will feature Ozuna’s biggest hits and original music composed for the film. A release date in theaters and on a streaming platform has not yet been announced. announced.
ODISEA’s cast includes Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Dania Ramírez, Ana María Estupiñán, Jencarlos Canela, Jessica Cediel, Laura Gómez, Israel Lugo, Sawandi Wilson and Milly Quezada, who is known as the Queen of Merengue. It was scripted by David Maler and Almudena Ramírez.
Morante recently spoke with THR about bringing Ozuna’s story to the screen.
“For me, directing ODISEA has been a challenge in every sense, both artistic and technical, filming between Santo Domingo, San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York with a first-class team led by Caribbean Films,” Morante told THR. “A film that faces a novel way of narrating to portray the essence of an interplanetary star of current music who, far from losing his roots, brings them to the foreground of a story full of feeling and inspiration. It’s a film built from cinematic fiction, but which crosses the border of reality again and again with an actor interpreting his own life as I have never seen before.”
