A Zorro reboot, titled Z, is on the way, but it won’t be like any other Zorro project that’s been produced in the past because it’s set in an apocalyptic future and. The new film will take the classic tale of the dashing swordsman in black and move the setting from early 1800s Spanish-controlled California to the future.
Created 100 years ago in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley, Zorro is considered one of the earliest superheroes in fiction. Zorro has been the subject of numerous books, pulp magazines, comic books, TV shows, and of course, movies. The traditional story follows Spanish nobleman Diego de la Vega who pretends to be a snob who abhors violence, but secretly moonlights as the black-clad sword-wielding vigilante Zorro, which in Spanish means “Fox”. As “Zorro”, Diego serves as a champion of the people, fighting against oppression from the Spanish military. In most versions of the story, the inept soldiers are unable to contend with Zorro’s swordsmanship. At the end of each battle, Zorro rides away on his black horse, Tornado.
Among the character’s most notable film appearances include the classic Mark of Zorro with Hollywood swashbuckling legend Tyrone Power in the title role, and of course the 1998 adaptation and box office hit, Mask of Zorro, which starred Antonio Banderas as a new version of Zorro. Mask of Zorro was followed up by a sequel, The Legend of Zorro, in 2005, though the film wasn’t able to match the box office success of its predecessor. A Zorro reboot was announced in 2015 with the title, Zorro Reborn, though it was later given a new title, Z. The film is being developed by Lantica Media and Sobini Films. Here’s what you need to know about Zorro’s post-apocalyptic reboot, Z.
Story
Z is confirmed to take place at some point in the future and will center on a new, unrevealed character who will take up the mantle of “Zorro”. A year ago, there were rumors about the story and a possible gender swap for the main hero, but official details on Z didn’t drop until late last year when actor Gael Garcia Bernal, who has been cast in the project, revealed in an interview with Variety that Z takes place in a time where California never became part of the United States. Instead, California remained under Spanish control and is called “New Spain”. The movie will involve slavery, and a “clash between Catholic people who spoke Spanish and Puritans who spoke English”.
Director
Jonas Cuaron, the director of the 2015 Desierto, has been hired to help the project, and will also write the script. Cuaron also co-wrote the Academy Award-winning Gravity with his father, Alfonso Cuaron, a director who has five Academy Awards of his own.
Cast
Only two actors have been cast in the film so far. Kiersey Clemons will play the female lead of Z. Gael Garcia Bernal has also been cast in the film, and is expected to be playing the new Zorro, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Release Date
Z has been moving forward quite slowly. The film has no set release date, or an even a known production date. In 2016, Cuaron said he had just begun writing the script. In December 2018, Gael Garcia Bernal said that he had “no idea” when the movie would even be filmed, which indicates that Z could still be years away.
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