The North American production of the film Dark Horse, which tells the story of the knife attack on the former president Jair Bolsonaro, became a target for Several complaints They were conducted by Brazilian workers who participated in the recordings between October and November 2025, in São Paulo.
Complaints filed by extras and technicians include reports of assaults, structural difficulties, and working conditions deemed inappropriate. The information was published by Forum Magazine.
The work is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and features Jim Caviezel in the lead role, in addition to Mario Frias, who plays Dr. Alfaro. A copy of the script obtained by the magazine describes action scenes set in the Amazon region, involving clashes against drug cartels alongside indigenous people and shamans.
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Assault charge
Among the testimonies collected by the magazine is that of actor Bruno Henrique, who claims that he was attacked by security personnel during a day at the Latin American Memorial, on November 21.
According to an additional producer report, the production prohibited the use of cell phones on set, but did not provide a safe place for storage. Bruno decided to go in with the device, and when he approached it in the magazine, he said he was pulled and pushed out of space.
He stated, “This American, who took the shirt that contained the phone from my hand, came and attached it to my arm and took me out of the place where the search was taking place.” He then stated that he was the target of more violence: “The security guard slapped my hand and came towards me and punched me. I almost fell from above. He punched me and I actually committed a crime. I was wearing glasses, and when I went down to get them, he tripped me.”
Spoiled food
The actor also said he experienced late payments and episodes involving insufficient food. According to him, the extras ended up eating spoiled food and some of the workers were unable to leave the set for so long that they ended up ridding themselves of their clothes. The case was brought to the Union of Artists and Entertainment Technicians in São Paulo, which opened a file collecting complaints received through official channels.
Materials collected by the union also point to what are considered irregular hiring practices. An audio clip obtained by Fórum shows extras being instructed to pay R$10 for transportation to locations, an amount deducted from the fee or paid in advance.
It was also possible to offer video and audio conditions at prices below sector standards, with fees ranging between R$100 and R$170, according to workers’ reports. The hiring company informed, in a note, that it would pay R$150 and R$250, and denied any wrongdoing.
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Former President Jair Bolsonaro
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Former President Jair Bolsonaro was remanded in custody last week after his electronic ankle bracelet broke
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Former President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison
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Arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro
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Union spoke
Entities representing technicians and artists claim that the production did not comply with collective agreement standards. Sindcine stresses that foreign productions must submit contracts, adhere to business rules and register national and international employees.
The entity also highlights that foreigners must pay a 10 percent fee allocated to the union’s social fund. Sindcine president Sonia Santana declared that attitudes such as “the money is foreign, we send it our way” are unacceptable in Brazil.
Sated-SP President Rita Teles expressed concern about the volume of complaints and stated that more stringency was needed from the Ministry of Labor. According to her opinion, “It is unacceptable for us to deal with this volume of complaints about a production that comes from outside the country, does not adhere to local legislation, and does not provide employment contracts to the Syndicate of Artists and Technicians, and this creates a great lack of security.”
When the magazine contacted GoUp Entertainment, the company responsible for production in Brazil, they did not respond until the report was published. J&D Produções, the casting company, said:
“For contractual reasons, we are prohibited from commenting on ongoing work. As for other issues, we are ready, and we reiterate that we always work within best market practices and in accordance with all relevant legislation.”