Ricky Martin surfaces in Gael García Bernal's Venice-bound comedy-drama, his first Spanish-language role in more than two decades.

The first trailer for Hombre al Agua, the third feature from director and star Gael García Bernal, arrives with an unexpected face: Ricky Martin, cast as Roby and now revealed as an executive producer on the film.

Martin plays Roby, an actor brought in to portray Camilo in a biographical film that Camilo's wife is producing. The role puts him opposite Bernal's Camilo, a Cuban lifeguard who rescues Abel, a wealthy Mexican businessman, from the Caribbean Sea. Abel's offer of employment and a new life in Mexico unravels into something more calculated.

"Ricky came in with an enormous generosity, completely embraced the spirit of the film, understood the humor of the character," Bernal told Deadline. The film was co-written with Argentine playwright Mariano Pensotti and shot in Mérida, in Mexico's Yucatán region, and Cuba. It marks Martin's first fully Spanish-language screen role in over twenty years.

Hombre al Agua world premieres in Venice's Spotlight section on September 7, ahead of a special presentation at TIFF. It is one of 17 films competing to represent Mexico at the 99th Academy Awards. Mexican theatrical release follows on September 24, 2026.