Ricky Martin Joins Gael García Bernal's 'Hombre al Agua' as Cast and Executive Producer
Ricky Martin has been revealed as a cast member and executive producer of Gael García Bernal's film Hombre al Agua, according to Deadline (Deadline). Martin joined the project on the eve of the film's shoot in Mérida, Mexico, though his involvement was only disclosed after cameras were already rolling. The role marks his first fully Spanish-language on-screen part in more than two decades.
Bernal's third feature as director, Hombre al Agua is billed as a comedy-drama with surreal undertones, with Bernal also credited as co-writer and producer. He stars as Camilo, a Cuban lifeguard who rescues Abel, a Mexican businessman with political ambitions, from drowning in the Caribbean Sea. Martin plays Roby, an actor hired to portray Camilo in a biographical film spearheaded by Camilo's wife — a film-within-a-film layer that sits at the heart of the story.
The cast is stacked. Esmeralda Pimentel, Débora Nascimento, Natalia Oreiro, Anna Díaz, Manuel García Rulfo and Jorge Salinas round out the ensemble. Bernal is producing with Diego Luna under their joint banner La Corriente del Golfo, alongside Fernanda de la Peza and Stacy Perskie. Paris-based sales company The Pool Films has released a first trailer and image from the film.
The festival run is set. Hombre al Agua will world premiere in the Venezia Spotlight section of the Venice Film Festival's 2026 edition, with a press and industry screening at the Sala Giardino on September 6 and a public screening on September 7 (La Biennale di Venezia). It then crosses the Atlantic for its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, scheduled as a Special Presentations title on September 10 (TIFF). TIFF, which runs September 10–20, describes the film as "a psychologically astute comedy of manners for the modern age." Both festivals list the running time at 116 minutes.
What makes this stand out is the convergence of talent and the way the casting was handled. Martin's name was kept quiet until the film was already shooting — a rarity in an era where casting announcements are often used to build early buzz. For Martin, returning to a Spanish-language screen role after more than twenty years carries its own weight. For Bernal, now three films into his directing career, Hombre al Agua lands on two of the autumn's most closely watched festival platforms, giving the film a clear path into the awards conversation before any distribution deals are locked.
