Dark Horse: What We Know About the Bolsonaro Biopic

Written by Adriano Ladislau

Published on November 13, 2026 18:45 UTC · Updated on November 13, 2026 19:00 UTC

Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and starring Jim Caviezel as Bolsonaro, the biopic has a reported R$75.1 million budget and no release date. Here is what is known.

Dark Horse is the biopic of former president Jair Bolsonaro, directed by American filmmaker Cyrus Nowrasteh and starring Jim Caviezel in the leading role. Produced by Go Up Entertainment, the company owned by Karina Ferreira da Gama, it was written and produced by federal congressman Mario Frias, who also appears on screen as the doctor who operated on Bolsonaro. The film still has no release date in Brazil — and its financing is at the center of a Federal Police investigation.

On Friday (13), the Federal Police launched the second phase of Operation Make Up, which looks into the alleged diversion of parliamentary earmarks to entities linked to the film's production company. Officers served a search and seizure warrant in Brasília, authorized by Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino, against Raphael Augusto Azevedo, a former aide to Frias who had not been located in the first phase, in September. The operation revived interest in the film's name: what exactly is Dark Horse, what does it tell, and how far along is it?

What Dark Horse is

Dark Horse is a scripted feature film, in the format of a dramatic biopic, about Jair Bolsonaro's political trajectory. It is not a documentary: the movie recreates episodes of the former president's life with actors in character, written dialogue and staged scenes. The production is international, led by an American director known for dramas with religious and political themes, such as The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) and The Young Messiah (2016).

The title comes from the English expression used to describe an unlikely contender — the competitor nobody favors who ends up surprising everyone. During the 2018 campaign, the term was used to describe the then-congressman's rise: he trailed in the polls and still won. The name therefore anticipates the narrative angle: the story of an outsider who reaches power.

What the story covers

The plot begins with the attack Bolsonaro suffered in September 2018, during the presidential campaign, when he was stabbed in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais. The released preview shows his recovery in hospital, an election debate and his marriage to Michelle Bolsonaro, while recreating rallies and moments of political tension.

The official synopsis, quoted by the American outlet Deadline and reproduced by the Brazilian press, summarizes the plot as follows: "Inspired by real events, Dark Horse follows Bolsonaro, a controversial outsider who rises from an unknown army captain to a populist leader in the presidential race in a deeply polarized Brazil, only to face a deadly assassination plot that turns his fight against a corrupt system into a battle for survival, truth and the soul of a nation."

Who makes the film

The director is Cyrus Nowrasteh. The screenplay and executive production are by Mario Frias, a congressman from São Paulo and former Culture Secretary in the Bolsonaro administration between 2020 and 2022. In the first phase of the investigation, Justice Flávio Dino described Frias as a "central agent" of a structure suspected of collecting and hiding public funds — a claim the congressman denies.

The lead actor is Jim Caviezel, known for The Thin Red Line (1998), Frequency (2000), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and Sound of Freedom (2023). His international breakthrough came as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ (2004). The production company is Go Up Entertainment, owned by Karina Ferreira da Gama, who also heads the Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB).

Production stage and budget

The film got a roughly two-minute trailer in May 2026, screened by Flávio Bolsonaro for party leaders and later posted on social media. A release had been projected for September 11, 2026 — a date first mentioned by Caviezel — but it did not happen.

In June, Karina da Gama's defense filed a report by the Instituto de Perícia Investigativa stating that the production cost R$75.1 million — R$54 million spent abroad and R$20.9 million disbursed in Brazil. The document included no receipts or invoices. In earlier statements, the producer had estimated the budget at around US$13 million, 90% of which she said had been funded by former banker Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, who is now in prison.

According to people close to the production interviewed by the press, what is missing now is not shooting but money for distribution and release. CNN reported that the team was seeking US$8 million (around R$48 million) for this stage and that, after Flávio Bolsonaro's defeat in the presidential election, Brazilian donors backed out. The alternative became raising funds abroad, especially in the United States.

When the film opens

There is no date. The latest forecast points to the first half of 2027, a timetable that, according to CNN, may be revised. In November, Europa Filmes general director Wilson Feitosa denied that the federal government had blocked the release — responding to Caviezel's claim that President Lula had banned the film in the country.

"There is no ban on releasing the film in Brazil; we are still going through the normal procedures for the premiere. Agencies such as Ancine have acted with the posture expected of a government body, with no complaints. The process must follow its normal pace. We have no date set to release the film, but there is no ban and no reason for one."

Ancine looked into complaints of irregularities in the production, and the case also prompted requests for inquiries at the federal audit court (TCU) and the electoral court (TSE) during the campaign. None of these fronts has so far produced a decision blocking the exhibition.

What the investigation examines

Operation Make Up follows the path of parliamentary earmarks directed by Mario Frias to cultural institutes. The suspicion is that part of the money was channeled into the film's production. In the first phase, in September, the congressman and Karina Gama were targets. In the second phase, the target was former aide Raphael Augusto Azevedo.

The inquiry, reported by Justice Flávio Dino at the Supreme Court, investigates embezzlement, document forgery, money laundering, criminal organization and bidding crimes. The Federal Police describes a structure formed by public and private agents that would funnel money to subcontractors without proof of services. In parallel, a second Supreme Court investigation, under Justice André Mendonça, examines transfers from Vorcaro to the production company at Flávio Bolsonaro's request.

Karina da Gama denies that the film was funded with earmarks and says the money allocated to ICB went to the Lutando pela Vida martial arts social project. Frias also denies irregularities and says the funds had a social purpose. In November, the São Paulo city government terminated a R$157 million contract with the NGO linked to the producer. The full background of the case is in the report on the R$75 million cost report (in Portuguese).

What is confirmed and what remains unanswered

• Confirmed: the film exists, is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, stars Jim Caviezel and is produced by Mario Frias through Go Up Entertainment.
• Confirmed: a trailer has been released and the release planned for September 2026 did not happen.
• Confirmed: the Federal Police is investigating suspected diversion of earmarks linked to the production company, in two Supreme Court fronts.
• Unconfirmed: the release date in Brazil and abroad.
• Unconfirmed: whether public money was used in the production — that is the object of the investigation, with no conclusion so far.
• Unconfirmed: final runtime, age rating and number of theaters planned for the premiere.

Contacted, Go Up Entertainment and Europa Filmes did not confirm further details about the release schedule up to the publication of this report. Agência Brasil has been following the case and published coverage of the new phase of the operation.

As the inquiry moves forward, Dark Horse remains an announced work, with a public trailer and a known poster, but no date to reach audiences. For those following pop culture and politics, the film was born as a search phenomenon — and the remaining question is when, and under what conditions, it will be seen. More on cinema and pop culture is available in the Culture Pop section.