The trailer for Gael García Bernal’s upcoming historical adventure Magellen was just released after the film received rave reviews from critics. The movie is a biopic about the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, with García Bernal, star of the Prime Video original series Mozart in the Jungle.
Magellan premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and critics are already calling it a masterpiece, with the big-screen epic receiving a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, Janus Films has released the trailer, a two-minute preview that offers a raw and grim look at what to expect from the film.
Explorer Magellan helms a fleet of ships across the Pacific Ocean to Southeast Asia, but the rough seas and other obstacles force the crew into a downward spiral. A rebellion rises, with Magellan’s own power at risk along the way.
As the trailer begins, Magellan faces opposition over his voyage, with someone telling him that it’s a “murderous proposal.” The explorer is determined to see his quest through to the end, though.
He and his crew attempt to appeal to the king, who will supposedly receive more wealth and power out of what ends up being a greedy journey, with many innocent lives killed in the process, all in the “name of the crown and of God.” Check out the Magellan trailer below:
Along with García Bernal, Magellan also stars Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio, Tomás Alves, Bong Cabrera, Brontis Jodorowsky, Baptiste Pintaux, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Roger Alan Koza and Rafael Morais. Award-winning filmmaker Lav Diaz directed the film.
After Magellan received rave reviews at Cannes, it continued to make the film festival circuit, with Diaz earning the Golden Spike prize at the Valladolid International Film Festival and being nominated at the Munich International Film Festival. The film has two nominations at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with the ceremony set for the end of November.
Magellan could be one of the big contenders at the 2026 Oscars, as the film has been submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category for the Philippines. Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026, with former late-night TV host Conan O’Brien hosting the awards show on ABC on March 15, 2026.
If Magellan does receive an Academy Award nomination, it won’t be the first time García Bernal has been a part of such a prestigious project. Amores Perros was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 2000. The actor himself won a Golden Globe for Mozart in the Jungle and has been nominated for two BAFTA Awards.
Magellan will be released in select theaters on January 9, 2026.
- Release Date
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September 10, 2025
- Runtime
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165 minutes
- Director
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Lav Diaz
- Writers
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Lav Diaz
- Producers
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Joaquim Sapinho, Montse Triola, Albert Serra, Bianca Balbuena, Paul Soriano, Bradley Liew, Marta Alves, Lav Diaz, Viktor Mara
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Gael García Bernal
Ferdinand Magellan
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