Magellan Trailer: Gael García Bernal Stars in Historical Epic Movie

Janus Films has shared the official trailer for the upcoming U.S. debut of Magellan, the drama from acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz. Following its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the movie is now slated to open in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on January 9, 2026.

“At the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan navigated a fleet of ships to Southeast Asia, attempting the first voyage across the vast Pacific Ocean. On reaching the Malay Archipelago, the crew pushed to the brink of madness in the harshness of the high seas and the overwhelming natural beauty of the islands. Magellan’s obsession leads to a rebellion and reckoning with the consequences of power,” reads the official synopsis. “A vast, globe-spanning epic, Magellan presents the colonization of the Philippines as a primal, shocking encounter with the unknown and a radical retelling of European narratives of discovery and exploration.”

Check out the Magellan trailer below (watch more trailers):

What happens in the Magellan trailer?

The video introduces Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal as Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who led a Spanish expedition in search of the Spice Islands. The trailer highlights his perilous voyage, which pushed his crew to their limits. It also teases the consequences of Magellan’s obsession with conquest and conversion, which leads to his demise at the hands of the people he’s trying to control.

Magellan is written and directed by Lav Diaz (Norte, the End of History). It serves as his first time helming a non-Tagalog language film. The ensemble cast includes Ângela Azevedo as Beatriz, Ronnie Lazaro as Rajah Humabon, Hazel Orencio as Juana, Amado Arjay Babon as Enrique de Malaca, Tomás Alves as Francisco Serrão, Bong Cabrera as Rajah Colambu, Dario Yazbek Bernal as Duarte Barbosa, and more.

The movie is produced by Joaquim Sapinho, Albert Serra, Montse Triola, Mark Victor, and Marta Vieira Alves, with Bi Gan and Wan Juan serving as executive producers. It has officially been chosen as the Philippines’ official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Since its world premiere, it has received a Tomatometer rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews.

Source: Comingsoon.net