Janus Films Releases Magellan Trailer by Lav Diaz

Janus Films released the official trailer for "Magellan," a historical epic directed by Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz, on November 18, 2025, ahead of the film's limited U.S. theatrical debut in New York and Los Angeles on January 9, 2026.

The film stars Gael García Bernal as the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who in the early 16th century led a Spanish-backed expedition across the Pacific Ocean to reach Southeast Asia and establish a foothold in what is now the Philippines. Drawing from historical accounts, the narrative follows Magellan's fleet as it endures brutal seas, crew mutinies driven by hunger and exhaustion, and encounters with indigenous peoples in the Malay Archipelago. Upon arrival, Magellan's pursuit of conquest and religious conversion spirals into violence, including clashes that result in his death during the Battle of Mactan. The story reexamines European tales of discovery through the lens of colonial brutality, depicting the events as a raw confrontation with the unfamiliar that tests the limits of power and ambition.

The two-minute trailer opens with sweeping visuals of turbulent oceans and lush island landscapes, underscoring the voyage's perils....