Zorro Reboot

[Airwings]

Hope it will be darker and more gritty than the Banderas films (they were good, but had much humour).

A Zorro film should always be welcome, but rather than rebooting the character after less than 10 years, why not try The Phantom, or Mandrake?

[Thundercrack85]

Have we ever seen Zorro in his native Spain?

[flash13]

In the book by Isabelle Allende that their basing the movie on he is in Spain for a good bit of the book.

[Mondragon]

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

Have we ever seen Zorro in his native Spain?

The Tyrone Power remake Mark of Zorro briefly opens in Spain, where he's just finishing his training and is called home to Los Angeles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...TvnudvF8#t=61s
As indicated the Novel follows this same thread idea, but really extends the plot in Spain, his voyage there, and the specifics of his training there, his induction into La Justicia, and his voyage back home.

Originally Posted by Airwings

A Zorro film should always be welcome, but rather than rebooting the character after less than 10 years, why not try The Phantom, or Mandrake?[/FONT]

Why should it be either one or the other, and not both or all? The Batman "reboot" came only 8 years after the last Schumacher film, did you complain about that in the Bat forums? And now they come even sooner, Spider-Man rebooted after 5 years, Hulk after what 4 or 5?.... Different companies own and licence different characters to different degrees of success. I'm sure someone is working on Phantom , Mandrake the Shadow, Doc Savage scripts, as well as half dozen other pulp heroes. What does that have to do with Zorro though?

And besides this isn't even so much a reboot, as Hopkins De La Vega was a pretty faithful to the character and shouldn't conflict with this "new" origin at all.
If anything this is more of a Year One, the first telling of Zorro(De LA Vega)'s extended origin, which has never been seen on film. They are not re-telling something that's already been done like the Batman reboot, or the Spider-Man reboot.

[Thundercrack85]

I would like to see a more authentic Zorro really. Let him actually speak Spanish. Though presumably he would speak English too, given the location, and mixing of Spanish, Mexican and American cultures.

[Mondragon]

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

I would like to see a more authentic Zorro really. Let him actually speak Spanish. Though presumably he would speak English too, given the location, and mixing of Spanish, Mexican and American cultures.

In Legend they have Alejandro and son Joaquin speaking Spanish to each other.
Other than the Banderas version which took place later in history, where they would have had more contact with the then expanding U.S. territories, and thus be bilingual. I'm pretty sure for the more classic versions the implication was they were speaking Spanish, at least that's how I saw it.
California was all Spanish territory, and Spanish (other than the native tongues) was then the main language. But since these are primarily made by Americans for American audiences and then dubed into other languages, of course they are going to speak English, despite being in what was at the time Spanish territory. I don't think that's a conflict.

They should by all means cast Hispanic/Latin actors who can speak English though.

[Airwings]

Originally Posted by Mondragon

Why should it be either one or the other, and not both or all? The Batman "reboot" came only 8 years after the last Schumacher film, did you complain about that in the Bat forums? And now they come even sooner, Spider-Man rebooted after 5 years, Hulk after what 4 or 5?....

The problem is that they only reboot the same characters over and over again, rather than trying "new" heroes.
Other than the ones you mentioned, they also rebooted X-men, and Fantastic Four will go the same way too. And not to forget all these Superman reboots.
Instead of
A) new stuff
or
B) reboots AND new stuff

the studios seem to prefer
C) only reboots

more and more often these days.

That's why I say it would be better if we would get "A" only, and not "B" or "C". With all the comic book adventures coming like a waterfall, the audience will get a little fed up. The new stuff won't have the same chance to draw interest when it has to compete with the characters that already are popular film icons. And even the successful heroes will suffer from this, as the audience will grow tired of the same Bruce Banner, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Reed Richards, Charles Xavier etc in new incarnations all the time. This may even put an end to the current superhero stardom.

Why I mentioned The Phantom in this Zorro thread? Because they have a few similarities.
By the way, who are Mandrake The Shadow? Are we thinking about the same character?

[Boom]

How about Edgar Ramirez?

[axelbratoski]

I was going to say Edgar Ramirez, too. If not, I'd say Oscar Isaac...

[Airwings]

Good suggestion in Gael García Bernal, but isn't he a little short for the character?

[Mondragon]

Originally Posted by Boom

How about Edgar Ramirez?

Agreed, another good choice!

Originally Posted by Airwings

Why I mentioned The Phantom in this Zorro thread? Because they have a few similarities.

So?
They are not owned or licensed by the same company, again, one has nothing to do with the other being made.

Originally Posted by Airwings

Good suggestion in Gael García Bernal, but isn't he a little short for the character?

I think Bernal is a bit small for the part, although going by IMDB he's only about 1½" shorter than Banderas.

[Airwings]

Originally Posted by Mondragon

So?
They are not owned or licensed by the same company, again, one has nothing to do with the other being made.

But the regurlar audience doesn't care what company a hero belongs to. Some people even mistake DC characters to be Marvel.
They only see the similarities between heroes and too much Zorro will result in lack of interest for a Phantom live action.
Is it still worth it? You rather have a new Zorro after six years than a new Phantom after 15 years?

[Mondragon]

You are still complaining about this here? How is it you still don't understand Zorro has NOTHING to do with The Phantom being made. This is not the same studio, not the same franchise, not the same license company, they have NOTHING to do with each other.
Why not start a separate Phantom thread instead of continue to complain about it here, derailing an inconsequential thread?
Can you answer that?

Originally Posted by Airwings

But the regurlar audience doesn't care what company a hero belongs to. Some people even mistake DC characters to be Marvel.

No kidding of course they don't care what company owns it, you know who does care? It's the company actually licensing the character to actually make the movie, that's who cares. And they are not going to put their movie on hold just because you or anyone want to get a Phantom movie out before Zorro.
It's not in their power, it's not their obligation, it's not in their interest.
Why would Zorro prod. or anyone wait until whoever has The Phantom license get's their stuff together to put out a Phantom movie.
ONE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OTHER!
How do you not get that?

Originally Posted by Airwings

They only see the similarities between heroes and too much Zorro will result in lack of interest for a Phantom live action.

And how is that the Zorro creators fault if people hypothetically lose interest in the Phantom? Even if it were true, there is absolutely nothing the Zorro creators who just want to tell their unique story, can or should do about the Phantom being made.
Any more than the people making "to much" Batman films can or should do about the Phantom being made, The Phantom has got NOTHING to do with them.
Why are you even complaing about it here? Just because they have some similarities? Well Batman also wears a mask and has a cave, so what? do you complain in the Batman threads they should stop making Batman movies and work on The Phantom instead?

Originally Posted by Airwings

Is it still worth it? You rather have a new Zorro after six years than a new Phantom after 15 years?[/FONT]

Who said that?
You just make stuff up to have imaginary arguments in your head?
Where did I or anybody say they would "rather have" a New Zorro movie to a Phantom movie? I'd love to see both! And more - http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=370507

[Mondragon]

Anyway the above is not why I wanted to post, just keep getting derailed with him still harping on the Phantom here, hopefully the subject is dead, or it's probablly just giving Airwings more fuel?

I wanted to put the name of another actor out there, who could possibly play a young Diego De La Vega.

Alejandro (Alex) Meraz

Especially if they are going to skew younger with the character, which is what the Allende Novel kind of calls for.
He is apparently part Spanish and Indigenous heritage which again following Allende is part of Diego De La Vega's heritage through his mother, who was part of the Chumash tribe, and part Spanish through his father.
In fact the first meeting of his Mother and Father (pretty much how the Novel opens) is part of the story I'm most looking forward to.
Also besides the ironic lupine connection, he is trained in mixed martial arts, karate and Capoeira which all lend themselves great to the agility and dexterity Zorro should portray.

[Airwings]

Never thought this thread would be brought up again 2 months after my post.
And Mondragon is really, really angry.
I choose to not comment more on the Phantom film, for now.

[Mondragon]

Anyway, what's weird is Zorro Prod, Inc. is suggesting that "Zorro Reborn" the supposed Zorro in the future movie, is still in development by FOX. - http://www.zorro.com/
While they've also now licensed the character to SONY to develop the classic Origin from Isabel Allende’s novel.
Granted they are two very different interpretations, but is it ok for them to just license it to two companies like that at the same time?

I thought the announcement of SONY developing the classic Origin Tale, had kind of put the stop to FOX's future / live action Generation Z / Zorro-Beyond idea?
I mean I'm oddly curios to see what becomes of this, but was this idea really that popular?


Los Angeles Times - “Zorro Reborn” will remove the famous masked swashbuckler from the original historical California and Mexico settings. ~ In fact, an unnamed source told the LA Times that the new installment will be in the future as “specifically a desolate and post-apocalyptic one.” ~ LA Times described this version will be “less a caped crusader for justice than a one-man vigilante force bent on revenge, in a western story that has echoes of both Sergio Leone and ‘No Country for Old Men.’” ~ The reboot project is currently being developed by Twentieth Century Fox. It will be directed by Rpin Suwannath, a pre-visualization specialist who worked on films such as “X-Men,” “Matrix” and “Chronicles of Narnia” films. ~ The reboot script was written by the writing team of Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy. This project is very early in the development stage. ~ Source: Los Angeles Times' 24 Frames

[BruceWanner]

How about Diego Luna?

[Mondragon]

Originally Posted by BruceWanner

How about Diego Luna?

Yeah I like Diego Luna, between the oft paired Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal(listed earlier), of the two I think Luna would make the better Zorro.

They could both still work though, maybe Garcia Bernal could play Bernardo to Luna's Zorro.
Bernardo gets a pretty big boost in the novel, with a parallel origin, and is thrown more center stage. They end up being more like brothers who grew up together.

And the two really do work well together - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...LGhlp_I#t=268s

I can see both Bernardo & Diego here-

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Originally Posted by Mondragon

Yeah I like Diego Luna, between the oft paired Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal(listed earlier), of the two I think Luna would make the better Zorro.

They could both still work though, maybe Garcia Bernal could play Bernardo to Luna's Zorro.
Bernardo gets a pretty big boost in the novel, with a parallel origin, and is thrown more center stage. They end up being more like brothers who grew up together.

And the two really do work well together - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...LGhlp_I#t=268s

I can see both Bernardo & Diego here-

that actually sounds cool. i can go with both Diego & Gael in the new Zorro flick

[Project862006]

^ and Gael it is!!

After a prolonged search, 20th Century Fox has found its new Spanish swordsman, as Mexican thesp Gael Garcia Bernal is attached to star in "Zorro Reborn."Pic is a futuristic reboot of the classic Zorro mythology that will not be set in California or Mexico, despite the story's Western themes. Garcia Bernal will play the character as a masked vigilante bent on revenge.
Glenn Gers wrote the script along with "Harker" scribes Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy. Project is still seeking a director.
Mark Amin, Cami Winikoff and David Huggins will produce for Sobini Films. 20th Century Fox exec Steve Asbell will oversee the project for the studio.
The iconic Zorro character was last seen on the bigscreen in Martin Campbell's 2005 pic "The Legend of Zorro," which starred Antonio Banderas. Sony, which released two Zorro films starring Banderas, is developing its own origin story about the swashbuckling hero based on Isabel Allende's 2005 novel "Zorro."
Garcia Bernal, who next stars opposite Will Ferrell in the Spanish-language comedy "Casa de mi Padre" and alongside Kate Hudson in "A Little Bit of Heaven," has worked with an impressive lineup of foreign filmmakers including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Alfonso Cuaron, Walter Salles, Michel Gondry, Fernando Meirelles and Pedro Almodovar.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050418

[Octoberist]

It's like dream casting actually became a reality!!

[Lighthouse]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

3 words. Gabriel Garcia Bernal.

Bwahahahahaha!!!!

[Mondragon]

Originally Posted by Project862006

^ and Gael it is!!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050418

Wow! So it's happening!!! This is for FOX's Zorro Reborn, the future post apocalyptic Zorro. - http://forums.superherohype.com/show...2&postcount=66

Not for SONY's origin movie (what was once the topic of this thread), which is based on the Allende novel.
They are licensing the property to two companies at once. FOX & SONY, although two very different takes on it.

Again here was the LA Times first description of that movie -

- “Zorro Reborn” will remove the famous masked swashbuckler from the original historical California and Mexico settings. ~ In fact, an unnamed source told the LA Times that the new installment will be in the future as “specifically a desolate and post-apocalyptic one.” ~ LA Times described this version will be “less a caped crusader for justice than a one-man vigilante force bent on revenge, in a western story that has echoes of both Sergio Leone and ‘No Country for Old Men.’” ~ The reboot project is currently being developed by Twentieth Century Fox. It will be directed by Rpin Suwannath, a pre-visualization specialist who worked on films such as “X-Men,” “Matrix” and “Chronicles of Narnia” films. ~ The reboot script was written by the writing team of Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy. This project is very early in the development stage. ~ Source: Los Angeles Times' 24 Frames

Apparently this will be Directed by Rpin Suwannath - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0840493/

From his Filmography this will likely be an FX heavy movie.

"...a post-apocalyptic" "....western story that has echoes of both Sergio Leone and ‘No Country for Old Men.’

Well I like Bernal, he's a really good actor, and this idea is insane enough it could work.

[Asteroid-Man]

Gael Garcia Bernel is awesome! He was so good in Motorcycle Diaries!

[GREEN =w= DAY]

i like Gael

sucks it won't be the traditional Zorro we all know, but this could be interesting