Zorro to be Rebooted

[Captaindemotion]

http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/sony-hires-matthew-federman-stephen-scaia-to-pen-zorro-reboot/

Sony Pictures has tapped TV scribes Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia to write the studio’s reboot of the Zorro franchise, which won’t be a remake but an origin tale of the comic book icon based on the 2005 Isabel Allende novel.

I know the 'R' word strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of many, but when it comes to a long-established character like Zorro, who has been portrayed in many ways by many actors on the big and small screen, I'm personally quite relaxed about it. For my money, he's one of those characters like Robin Hood who should be reinterpreted every few years.

The Antonio Banderas one wasn't a strict adaptation of the classic Zorro legend, instead focusing on an aged Don Diego (played by Athony Hopkins) training his successor, Alejandro, played by Banderas. So it can't really be said that this reboot is coming too soon after the Banderas movies - it will, after all, be returning to the character's roots.

Besides which, while the first AB movie was great fun, the second was less so and Antonio is arguably getting on a bit to play the swashbuckling lead. And with the first movie being some 13 years ago and the second 6 years ago, this is hardly as rushed a reboot as, say, the forthcoming Spider-man movie. My one concern would be that while the Allende novel was a good read, I'm not sure if it lends itself to a swashbuckling summer movie. But we'll see.

Any thoughts for what young Latino actor ought to play the lead?

 

[Saga]

i'm just glad that some of the 'older' characters like Zorro and The Lone Ranger are getting some attention. i enjoyed the first Zorro film. the second one, yeah, it wasn't all that great. but like you said, Zorro isn't something to fret over when it gets a remake or reboot. there are literally dozens of interpretations of the character from movies to tv shows and comics.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ I agree with you about the Lone Ranger. In fact, I've long been arguing that TLR movie should have a similar tone and feel to the first Banderas movie.

I just hope that this Zorro movie doesn't have werewolves!

 

[Lonemagpie]

Meh, the Allende novel didn't really have much Zorro-ing in it, that I recall...

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Still, better than the post-apocolyptic Zorro movie that was threaten.., er, promised a while back!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Zorro really doesn't have a strong, single identity. (I always think of Tyrone Power, Jr. first). Reboot away!

Maybe Johnny Depp should be Zorro.

No no no, wait! Depp should be the villain. That would be cool!

Any thoughts for what young Latino actor ought to play the lead?

An open casting call in LA should turn up about a zillion possibilities. With Depp onboard as the villain, they can feel free to cast an unknown.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ In Don Juan De Marco, he looked really like Zorro. But he's too old now. Plus could he fit in another franchise with Pirates and (presumably) The Lone Ranger and The Thin Man?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

That's why Depp should be the villain, the same sort of oily, swashbuckling, sexy, creepy character that Basil Rathbone played.

Get some goodlooking young unknown for the lead, and make a lot of hooplah about turning him into a star. Remember when Hollywood did that? Now all they want is a marquee name so they can play it safe. Boring!

Some smartass in the Deadline comments nominated Shia LaBeouf. Well, that's the right idea I suppose.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Interesting. Remember when he was supposed to be up for Lex Luthor, when McG was linked to Superman?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Hollywood needs to use this opportunity to cater to the Hispanic market. Incredible how they neglect it. Since the story takes place in Ye Olde Los Angeles, there's a great opportunity to cast a hometown boy, yet have a movie that can take off globally due to its durable underlying theme of defending-the-underdog.

They need to look for a Hispanic Chris Evans-as-Steve Rogers.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Sony Pictures has tapped TV scribes Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia to write the studio’s reboot of the Zorro franchise, which won’t be a remake but an origin tale of the comic book icon based on the 2005 Isabel Allende novel.

I don't really think "Comic booK" when I hear the name Zorro. While he has appeared in comics, I associate him with movies and TV. Though he originated in prose (pulp magazines). Its a bit like calling Tarzan a comic book icon

 

[Gaith]

Meh, the Allende novel didn't really have much Zorro-ing in it, that I recall...

Indeed. Diego really only puts on the mask at the end, IIRC, in a sequence that frankly felt tacked on, just to finally have some actual Zorro-ing.

The problem with doing a modern-day Zorro story (and I say this as a huge fan of the character) is that his Spanish/Mexican Californian setting just isn't very epic; it was instead rather small and modest. These days, we're used to seeing even ancient cities portrayed as huge, sprawling metropolises (Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia, Troy); it's telling that both of Banderas' Zorro movies set their action climaxes in the desert rather than their respective towns: there just wasn't all that much there.

I just hope that this Zorro movie doesn't have werewolves!

Eh, I don't see why not. Having Zorro fight nothing but tyrannical governors tends to get old after a few decades...


The most likely course based on Allende's novel, I think, would be to do a Zorro Begins by Fighting Pirates in the Caribbean, and maybe end with him sailing off for the Pacific. That way, they could save the Californian setting entirely for a sequel, but once you do bring him to CA, you run into the scale issue - not to mention the fact that people might be reluctant to invest in Zorro falling in love there, remembering what happens to his wife Esperanza at the beginning of Mask. (Incidentally, the old serialized b&w Disney show got the scale of the region just right, which was a perfect fit for a 1950s/60s TV show, not so much for a modern blockbuster.)

^ Still, better than the post-apocolyptic Zorro movie that was threaten.., er, promised a while back!

I agree that a post-apocalyptic Zorro doesn't make much sense, but I could see a future Zorro (say, in a Blade Runner-type megacity) working - at least there you'd get a big scale. (And yes, I've heard of the similarly-set cartoon show.)


Bottom line, I think, is that the original Zorro story was done quite well in 1919 and 1940, the epic film Zorro has been done to perfection in Mask, and serialized Zorro got the excellent Disney series, so why not experiment and go for something completely different?

 

[A beaker full of death]

oy. "Reboot?" Was the Banderas one a reboot of the Douglas Fairbanks one? Was Branagh's Hamlet a reboot of Olivier's?

 

[Admiral Shran]

Maybe Johnny Depp should be Zorro.

No no no, wait! Depp should be the villain. That would be cool!

Oh God, please no.

 

[Saga]

see, Zorro and The Lone Ranger don't need to be big sweeping epics. they don't need outside elements like werewolves or vampires thrown in. why can't it just be a nice straight up action adventure/western? to me adding supernatural elements takes away from the character. sure, it may seem cool for Zorro to fight a vampire or something...but i'm more interested in him fighting bandits and saving the girl.

 

[Gaith]

see, Zorro and The Lone Ranger don't need to be big sweeping epics. they don't need outside elements like werewolves or vampires thrown in. why can't it just be a nice straight up action adventure/western?

But that's just it - in 2011, by putting on a costume and/or mask, they effectively remove themselves from the "straight-up Western" category and put themselves in the "superhero" category. Try picturing 3:10 to Yuma with a Zorro or Lone Ranger in the Christian Bale role - it'd make no sense.

 

[Broccoli]

see, Zorro and The Lone Ranger don't need to be big sweeping epics. they don't need outside elements like werewolves or vampires thrown in. why can't it just be a nice straight up action adventure/western?

But that's just it - in 2011, by putting on a costume and/or mask, they effectively remove themselves from the "straight-up Western" category and put themselves in the "superhero" category. Try picturing 3:10 to Yuma with a Zorro or Lone Ranger in the Christian Bale role - it'd make no sense.

But it'd be awesome.

 

[Saga]

see, Zorro and The Lone Ranger don't need to be big sweeping epics. they don't need outside elements like werewolves or vampires thrown in. why can't it just be a nice straight up action adventure/western?

But that's just it - in 2011, by putting on a costume and/or mask, they effectively remove themselves from the "straight-up Western" category and put themselves in the "superhero" category. Try picturing 3:10 to Yuma with a Zorro or Lone Ranger in the Christian Bale role - it'd make no sense.

well Zorro and the Lone Ranger have always been western super heroes. i don't see why that needs to change suddenly. if you start tinkering with them you'll just end up with another movie like The Green Hornet.

 

[RoJoHen]

Zorro is like James Bond. It doesn't matter who's playing him or what the story is about. They all might as well be reboots.

 

[Keith1701]

Sounds like a good idea to me...