The Cassandro Trailer Turns Gael García Bernal Into The Liberace Of Lucha Libre

It's a question that has plagued professional wrestling for decades as it fought for legitimacy in the eyes of wider audiences: Can a sport with a predetermined outcome even be considered a sport in the first place? As those who follow /Film know, avid proponents of the larger-than-life storylines featured in wrestling would undoubtedly say yes, but perhaps there's a better way to approach that concern. What if a wrestling movie used such low perceptions from outsiders to challenge traditionally held beliefs about gender, sexuality, and expression?

That's exactly what seems to be happening with "Cassandro," the newest film from Prime Video, directed by Roger Ross Williams. The story follows Saúl Armendáriz, a gay aspiring wrestler who struggles to carve out a niche for himself in the Mexican wrestling scene. Starring "Y tu mamá también" heartthrob and scene-stealer in both "Old" and Marvel's "Werewolf by Night" Gael García Bernal, the based-on-a-true-story film actually premiered at this year's Sundance film festival, where /Film's Ben Pearson reviewed the movie and praised it as, "...a solid drama that provides another strong showcase for Gael García Bernal's many talents, and marks a largely successful transition into scripted storytelling for Roger Ross Williams."

Audiences are now getting their first look at the buzzy project, as Prime Video has released a new trailer for the wrestling drama. Check it out below!

Where is a poor, young, closeted Mexican who grew up watching Lucha Libre matches supposed to turn to find fulfillment in the harsh and unforgiving world of 1980s Mexico? Well, it's a good thing that wrestling provides exactly the sort of outlet that many queer fans of the art form have found so appealing over the years. "Cassandro" seeks to use that as a jumping-off point to tell the true story of Saúl Armendáriz, the pioneering luchador who carved his own path as a so-called exótico.

Based on the trailer, the drama hints at all sorts of prejudices and personal setbacks for the wrestler soon to be known as Cassandro must overcome — from other wrestlers jealous of his rapid rise to fame to an intensely homophobic culture to his own ill-advised affair with a fellow wrestler. The first non-documentary feature from director Roger Ross Williams, "Cassandro" comes from a script co-written by Williams and David Teague and stars Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo, and also features appearances by real-life pro wrestler El Hijo del Santo and even rapper Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (better known as Bad Bunny).

"Cassandro" is set to hit select U.S. theaters in a limited release starting on September 15, 2023, before debuting worldwide on Prime Video on September 22, 2023.