Last April, rumours began to spread that 20th Century Fox had its eye on an ambitious new take on the Zorro legend, with post-apocalyptic version** Zorro Reborn** bubbling away in development. Now it’s closer to reality, with Gael Garcia Bernal anointed to take over the trademark sword-swishing duties.
Since it’s set in The World Of Tomorrow, it’ll be a change from the usual Californian / Mexican setting, though the ruined world concept does suggest that a lot of desert will still be involved. Still, Bernal’s Zorro will still be a masked vigilante out for revenge.
Against whom? That is still shrouded – or perhaps that should be cloaked, given the character – in mystery. What we do know is that Glenn Gers has taken a pass at the script originally written by Harker scribes Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy.
But though pre-vis specialist and spellcheck nemesis Rpin Suwannath was originally touted as the new film’s director, the chair is currently vacant.
Zorro has been a success for Sony in the past with 1998’s The Mask Of Zorro and to a lesser degree with 2005’s The Legend Of Zorro. The studio isn’t giving up on the character: it is still developing an origin story for the hero based on Isabel Allende’s 2005 book, simply titled Zorro.
Fans of Garcia Bernal will next see him alongside Will Ferrell in the comedy Casa De Mi Padre (no word on when that will arrive over here, though).