Wikipedia

Dark Horse (2026 film)

Dark Horse is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Nowrasteh, based on a story by Mário Frias. It follows the political career of former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro during the 2018 presidential election and a subsequent stabbing attack. Jim Caviezel stars as Bolsonaro alongside Marcus Ornellas, Sérgio Barreto and Eddy Finlay.

Dark Horse
Brazilian teaser poster
Directed byCyrus Nowrasteh
Written by
Story byMário Frias
Produced by
  • Michael Davis
  • Ryan O'Quinn
Starring
Production
company
GoUp Entertainment
Release date
  • 11 September 2026 (2026-09-11) (United States)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Premise

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The film chronicles the political ascension of Jair Bolsonaro during his 2018 presidential campaign, focusing on his assassination attempt in Juíz de Fora, Minas Gerais.[1][2] It portrays Bolsonaro as an electoral "dark horse", chronicling his hospital recovery, electoral debates and his marriage to Michelle de Paula. It includes a flashback scene portraying a young Bolsonaro as a Brazilian Army officer taking part in military operations targeting drug trafficking.[1][2][3][4]

The plot suggests that Bolsonaro had been a target of a conspiracy 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 had helped arrest in 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]

Cast

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Production

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Development

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Dark Horse was directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Cyrus Nowrasteh from a screenplay he co-wrote with his son Mark Nowrasteh, based on "Capitão do Povo" (lit. 'People's Captain'), a story by São Paulo congressman Mário Frias, who was appointed Secretary of Culture in the first Bolsonaro administration.[9][10] The production is headed by Eduardo Verástegui, known for producing Sound of Freedom.[11][12]

Filming

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Filming began in October 2025 at Indianópolis Hospital in 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.[13]

The film was entirely shot in English, aiming to reach an international audience by reconstructing the political career of Bolsonaro, who was tried and convicted of the coup d'état attempt and is currently imprisoned.[14] According to the newspaper O Globo, at least 14 extras who took part in the filming filed lawsuits to the alleging "humiliating" working conditions and having been surprised by the pro-Bolsonaro theme of the film. The allegations, corroborated by 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.[15][16]

Controversies

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2026 financing scandal

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On 10 December 2025, Intercept Brasil revealed that, in 2024, a non-governmental organization (NGO) belonging to Karina Ferreira da Gama, the owner of GoUp Entertainment and one of the film's executive producers, signed a R$108 million contract with the City Hall of São Paulo to provide Wi-Fi service to low-income communities in the city.[17] The next day, several São Paulo city councilors filed complaints to the state's Public Prosecutor's Office, requesting an investigation into the responsibility of the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, the suspension of contracts signed with the city hall and the investigation of possible irregularities in the bidding process for da Gama's NGO.[18]

In May 2026, Intercept Brasil reported that senator Flávio Bolsonaro had negotiated funding for Dark Horse with banker Daniel Vorcaro, the former head of Banco Master, who was under investigation in the Banco Master fraud case. According to the report, Flávio sought up to R$134 million (2025) (US$23.96 million) for the film, and at least R$61 million was allegedly transferred between February and May 2025 through intermediary structures, including Entre Investimentos e Participações and the Texas-based Havengate Development Fund LP, which was described as linked to allies of Eduardo Bolsonaro.[19][20][21] For comparison, the 2025 Oscar-winning Brazilian film I'm Still Here had a budget of EUR7.6 million (2024) (US$8.23 million) and The Secret Agent, EUR4.7 million (2025) (US$5.3 million).[22][23]

Brother, I preferred to send you an audio here so you can listen to it calmly. [...] Despite you giving us the freedom, Daniel, to press you [for payment], I feel awkward keep pressing you, okay? But anyway... It's because we are at a very decisive moment here with the film and, since there are many overdue installments, man, everyone is tense and I'm worried about the opposite effect of what we envisioned for the movie, right? [...] So, if you could give me a heads-up, a position, Daniel, because we need to know what to do, man, with our lives, because there are many... there are already many bills to pay this month and next month too. And now that it's the home stretch, we can't... we can't slip up, we can't fail to honor the commitments here, because otherwise we lose everything, man: the whole contract, we lose actors, we lose the director, we lose the crew, we lose everything. If you could give me a shout, brother. Sorry for the long audio, okay?

— Flávio Bolsonaro, in an audio message sent to Daniel Vorcaro, demanding money for the completion of the film Dark Horse[17][24]

Flávio Bolsonaro initially denied the report, but later acknowledged having sought private sponsorship from Vorcaro for what he described as a private film about his father. He denied offering advantages, receiving money or using public funds, stating that there had been "zero" public money or Lei Rouanet funding involved.[25][26] The production company and Mário Frias denied that funds from Vorcaro or Banco Master had reached the production.[27]

On 15 May 2026, further reporting based on contracts and messages stated that Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio's brother, had served as an executive producer on the film and had responsibilities related to financing strategy, investor materials and fundraising. The reports said the documents contradicted Eduardo's statement that he had merely licensed image rights for the project.[28][29] Opposition lawmakers subsequently filed a criminal representation with the Prosecutor General's Office and the Federal Police requesting an investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro, Vorcaro and others over the alleged funding arrangements.[27]

Although Flavio Bolsonaro claims the money is a private investment with the use of no public funds, the Federal Police continues to investigate a nation-wide scheme where Master intentionally lead institutions and pensions to invest in toxic and unsupported funds, generating public losses in the tens of millions of dollars.[30]

It is widely believed by journalists that Flávio was aware of this at the time of negotiations, as he and Vorcaro had a modus operandi of exchanging one time view messages via WhatsApp.[31]

Crew complaints

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Brazilian media outlets also reported complaints from extras regarding working conditions on set, including low daily payments, alleged spoiled food and restrictions during filming.[32][33]

Criticism

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Brazilian media outlets also labeled the film as propaganda, focusing on the upcoming Brazilian general election in late 2026. Bolsonaro, who was tried and convicted of coup d'état attempt and is currently imprisoned, endorsed his elder son Flávio Bolsonaro to the presidential race. Flávio has been using the film as a platform to the family's political ideology (Bolsonarism).[34]

By late May 2026, Lula supporters had formally filled a complain to the Superior Electoral Court intending to prevent the film's release in the country until the elections take place.[35]

Marketing

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On 7 December 2025, Carlos Bolsonaro published on X, formerly Twitter, a photo beside Jim Caviezel characterized as Bolsonaro in the filming set.[36] 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 shootings, mainly in São Paulo.[14]

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".[37]

Release

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Although Caviezel claimed in April 2026 that Dark Horse is set to be released theatrically on 11 September 2026,[38] Deadline Hollywood reported that the film does not currently have a Brazilian release date.[39][40]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Adélio Bispo, author of the stabbing, will be portrayed as the fictional Adélio Barba.[3]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sena, Letícia (25 November 2025). "'Dark Horse': filme sobre Bolsonaro chega aos cinemas em 2026; saiba tudo". Istoé (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Perdigão, Letícia (26 November 2025). "Tudo que se sabe do filme sobre o ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Filme sobre Bolsonaro tem imagens vazadas da cena que retrata facada de Adélio Bispo em 2018; vídeo". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Veja tudo o que se sabe sobre a cinebiografia de Jair Bolsonaro" (in Brazilian Portuguese). CNN Brasil. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Oliveira, Fábia (3 December 2025). "Denúncias graves atingem set de filme sobre Jair Bolsonaro". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Guaraldo, Luciano (8 December 2025). "Dark Horse: Saiba quem vai viver Michelle Bolsonaro em filme sobre o ex-presidente". Notícias da TV (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Miranda, Maria Dulce (7 December 2025). "Produção de filme sobre Bolsonaro é alvo de denúncias de agressões". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 Marques, Adriel (6 December 2025). ""Dark Horse": vazam primeiras imagens do filme sobre Jair Bolsonaro; saiba bastidores". Portal Leo Dias (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Horton, Adrian (8 December 2025). "Jim Caviezel to play Jair Bolsonaro in 'heroic' biopic". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Cardoso, Isabella (28 November 2025). "Bolsonaro vira herói em filme sobre sua vida; veja quem é quem no elenco de 'Dark Horse'". Extra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Filme sobre Jair Bolsonaro tem primeiras viagens vazadas na internet". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 7 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Filme de Bolsonaro ganha trailer e já está envolvido em polêmica grave". TecMundo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Fraguito, Giovanna (9 December 2025). "O custo da gravação do filme sobre Bolsonaro em ponto turístico de SP". Veja (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  14. 1 2 Gelani, Felipe (8 December 2025). "Dark Horse: teaser do filme sobre Bolsonaro é divulgado por Mário Frias". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Setti, Rennan (9 December 2025). "Figurantes de filme sobre Bolsonaro se mobilizam para recorrer à Justiça por condições de trabalho e 'surpresa' com tema". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Godoy, Yago (9 December 2025). "Denúncias em set de filme sobre Bolsonaro incluem relatos de agressões, atrasos no pagamento e comida estragada". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  17. 1 2 Martins, Laís; Dias, Tatiana (10 December 2025). "'Dark Horse': Ligada a evangélicos, produtora de filme de Bolsonaro tem contrato de R$ 108 milhões com prefeitura de Ricardo Nunes em SP". Intercept Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Mota, Isabella (13 December 2025). "ONG da produtora do filme de Bolsonaro pode virar alvo de investigação do MP". Intercept Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  19. ↑ Teixeira, Isadora (13 May 2026). "Vorcaro pagou R$ 61 milhões para filme de Bolsonaro; Flávio cobrou dinheiro". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "A bombshell leak threatens Flávio Bolsonaro's election bid". The Economist. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Savarese, Mauricio (13 May 2026). "Brazil presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing after asking banker for millions". AP News. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  22. ↑ Gutiérrez, Bernardo (27 May 2026). "Steve Bannon impulsa en Brasil una película para glorificar a Bolsonaro, pero el resultado ha sido justo lo contrario". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2026. El hecho de que los 134 millones de reales solicitados por Flávio superen el presupuesto de la película ganadora del Óscar en 2025 Todavía estoy aquí (7,6 millones de euros) y El agente secreto (4,7 millones de euros) ayuda a visibilizar el tamaño del favor que Flávio pidió a Vorcaro.
  23. ↑ Andreoni, Manuela; Teles, Isabel; Brito, Ricardo (15 May 2026). "How a Jim Caviezel film got mixed up in a Brazilian political scandal". Reuters. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  24. ↑ AUDIO: Flávio Bolsonaro pressed Daniel Vorcaro for money to fund Jair Bolsonaro's film (Video) (in Portuguese). Intercept Brasil. 13 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  25. ↑ Porto, Gustavo (13 May 2026). "Flávio Bolsonaro admite relação com Vorcaro, cita 'patrocínio privado' para filme sobre o pai e pede CPI do Banco Master". Money Times (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  26. ↑ Waltenberg, Guilherme (13 May 2026). "Flávio confirma pedido de dinheiro a Vorcaro, mas diz que era privado". Poder360 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Além de Daniel Vorcaro, deputado de MS também ajudou a 'bancar' filme sobre Bolsonaro". Correio do Estado (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "Eduardo Bolsonaro atuou como produtor em filme com recursos de Vorcaro, diz site". Correio do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  29. ↑ Megre, Andrei (15 May 2026). "Eduardo tinha poder sobre dinheiro do filme de Bolsonaro, revela contrato". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  30. ↑ Prazeres, Leandro (10 February 2026). "Como dinheiro do contribuinte pode acabar sendo usado para cobrir parte do rombo bilionário do Banco Master" (in Brazilian Portuguese). BBC News Brasil. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Mensagens mostram que Flávio Bolsonaro cobrou dinheiro de Vorcaro para concluir filme sobre o ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro". Jornal Nacional (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  32. ↑ Struck, Vitor (15 May 2026). "Figurantes de "Dark Horse" relataram cachês de R$ 100 e comida estragada". Poder360 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  33. ↑ "Filme sobre Bolsonaro teve denúncias de abusos e condições precárias em set". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  34. ↑ ""Dark Horse" poderia configurar propaganda eleitoral irregular? Entenda". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 23 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "'Dark Horse': O que falta para lançar filme que abalou a campanha de Flávio Bolsonaro". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 25 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  36. ↑ Rohde, Beatriz (7 December 2025). "Vaza vídeo dos bastidores do filme sobre Bolsonaro com reconstituição da facada". ND Mais (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  37. ↑ "Filme de Bolsonaro: equipe de Beyoncé pede retirada de música do trailer" (in Brazilian Portuguese). CNN Brasil. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  38. ↑ "Filme sobre Bolsonaro com ator de 'A Paixão de Cristo' ganha data de estreia e pôster". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 April 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  39. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (21 April 2026). "Director Of Jair Bolsonaro Biopic Starring Jim Caviezel Says Film Is About "Power, Media, And Faith Under Fire"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  40. ↑ Duailibi, Julia (14 May 2026). "'Dark Horse' não tem pedido de registro para lançamento no Brasil". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
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