Dark Horse (2026 film)

Dark Horse is an upcoming American drama film directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and written by Mário Frias, scheduled to be released in 2026. The film follows the political career of Jair Bolsonaro during the 2018 presidential election and his stabbing. Jim Caviezel stars as Bolsonaro alongside Marcus Ornellas, Sérgio Barreto and Eddy Finlay.

The feature film reconstruct the political ascension of Jair Bolsonaro during his 2018 presidential campaign, focused on his assassination attempt in Juíz de Fora, Minas Gerais.^[1][2] The film shows Bolsonaro as an electoral "dark horse", showing moments such as his hospital recovery, electoral debates and his marriage to Michelle de Paula, besides some flashback scenes that show a young Bolsonaro as a military in the 1980s in operations against drug trafficking.^[1][2][3][4]

With a dramatic and heroic tone, the plot suggests that Bolsonaro had been a target of a conspiration between left-wing groups and criminal organizations. Besides the attack perpetrated by Adélio Barba,^[a] the story includes other supposed assassination attempts occurred while Bolsonaro recovers at the hospital. A FICTIONAL antagonist is introduced, portraying an influential drug dealer that Bolsonaro helped arrest during his Army years.^[1][2] According to newspaper Metrópoles, the screenplay mentions action scenes set in the Amazon rainforest, involving a battle between drug cartels, indigenous peoples and shamans.^[5]

• Jim Caviezel as Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian congressman and presidential candidate^[1]
• Marcus Ornellas as Flávio Bolsonaro, state deputy of Rio de Janeiro and son of Bolsonaro^[1]
• Sérgio Barreto as Carlos Bolsonaro, councillor of Rio de Janeiro and son of Bolsonaro^[1]
• Eddy Finlay as Eduardo Bolsonaro, Brazilian congressman and son of Bolsonaro^[1]
• Camille Guaty as Michelle Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro's wife^[6]
• Mário Frias as Dr. Álvaro^[7]
• Lynn Collins as Lara Clarke^[6]
• Esai Morales as Paulo Pontes^[6]
• Felipe Folgosi as Lieutenant Ramos^[6]
• Charles Paraventi as Carvalho^[6]
• Tank Jones as Hugo Betão
• Vanessa Machado as an electoral debate candidate^[6]
• Bianka Fernandes as a talk show host^[8]

The biographic film about Jair Bolsonaro, provisionally titled Dark Horse, is directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Cyrus Nowrasteh and written by Mário Frias, congressman for São Paulo and former Culture Secretary during Bolsonaro government. The work is inspired on the text Capitão do Povo, written by Frias.^[9][10] The production is headed by Eduardo Verástegui, known for producing Sound of Freedom.^[11] GoUp Entertainment is responsible for production in Brazil.^[12]

There are inquiry requests opened with public organs to investigate if the film was financed with money laudering, as many NGOs and GoUp ventures with a sole partner and the film's executive producer received a high amount of money in a date next or after the filming date.^[13]

Filming began in October 2025 at Indianópolis Hospital, São Paulo.^[11] Actor Jim Caviezel, known for portraying Jesus Christ in The Passion of the Christ, spent approximately three months in Brazil filming in different regions before filming moved to the United States and Mexico.^[8] One of the locations was the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo, between 19 and 22 November 2025, with a payment of R$125,921.36 to the State Government of São Paulo for image usage rights.^[14]

The film was entirely shot in English, aiming to reach an international audience by reconstructing Bolsonaro's political career, who was convicted of a coup d'état attempt and is currently imprisoned.^[15] According to the newspaper O Globo, at least 14 extras who took part in the filming resorted to the courts, alleging "humiliating" working conditions and having been surprised by the pro-Bolsonaro theme of the film. The allegations, which corroborate several complaints filed by the Artists Union of São Paulo (Sated-SP), include assaults against an extra, delayed payments, the provision of spoiled food, abusive restrictions on toilet use—allowed only in groups and under supervision—and ostentatious cell phone seizure. The chairwoman of Sated SP, Rita Teles, stated that the seriousness of the situation led the union to contact the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which did not respond in a timely manner.^[16][17]

On 7 December, Carlos Bolsonaro published on X, formerly Twitter, a photo beside Jim Caviezel characterized as Bolsonaro in the filming set.^[18] On the following day, congressman Mário Frias published a teaser video with scenes of the former president political career, including his acting as a congressman, the wedding to Michelle and the 2018 attack. Frias is also shown acting as one of the doctors who took part on the surgery. Flávio and Carlos were also present during some filmings, mainly in São Paulo.^[15]

After the publishing of the teaser, the team of American singer Beyoncé has reportedly filed legal action requesting the removal of the song "Survivor", by Destiny's Child, which the artist was part of. According to Anderson Nick, project manager of BeyGood - non-profit financial organization funded by Beyoncé and responsible for its operation in Brazil - the track was used without proper authorization and "legal measures are already being taken to have it taken off the air as quickly as possible".^[19]

• Dark Horse at IMDb