For 15 years, Hollywood has threatened to unleash Zorro Reborn, a film script that reimagines Johnston McCulley’s iconic hero in a post-apocalyptic world…instead of the Spanish-controlled lands of California in the 19th century.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zorro Reborn has escaped its extended period in development Hell and it may begin filming as soon as March 2016 in Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios. Lantica Media and Sobini Films have teamed up to produce Zorro Reborn, and the financing appears to be in place.
As originally conceived, Zorro was a defender of the poor and downtrodden who suffered under Spanish rule. Zorro Reborn will reportedly keep the core idea of “a masked and caped stranger taking on tyrants.” But beyond that, the project seems to be Zorro in name only.
Bryan Singer, Ricardo de Montreuil, Garry Whitta and Justin Marks have all previously tried to bring Zorro Reborn to the big screen. However, Zorro Reborn has neither a cast nor a director in place.
Antonio Banderas (pictured above) was the last person to play Zorro in American cinemas. He starred in the wildly popular The Mask of Zorro in 1998, and he reprised his role in the less popular, The Legend of Zorro in 2005. The Zorro character has been widely adapted in television shows and movies
Zorro Reborn isn’t the first time that someone has tried to radically rethink the title character in a future setting. Behold! I give you the rarely seen 2008 animated series, Zorro: Generation Z!
Zorro fans: are you looking forward to Zorro Reborn? Draw your swords and share your opinions in the comment section below!
