With The Mask of Zorro, Antonio Banderas truly marked himself as a genuine star and sex symbol across the globe. While he earned acclaim for his collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar in Spain and made his presence known in the States with Philadelphia and Interview with the Vampire, The Mask of Zorro was his first leading role to near $100 million at the domestic box office. But the iconic swordsman almost had another man behind the mask: Tom Cruise.
According to The Mask of Zorro‘s original director Mikael Salomon, executive producer Steven Spielberg wanted Tom Cruise to star. “Who else was [in the mix]? Some big — oh yeah, Tom Cruise. Early on, [Spielberg] wanted to offer it to him. Have you heard that? He wanted to offer it to Tom Cruise. And my friend and countryman Bille August had done The House of the Spirits with all non-Latinos, and he got in so much hot water because of that,...
According to The Mask of Zorro‘s original director Mikael Salomon, executive producer Steven Spielberg wanted Tom Cruise to star. “Who else was [in the mix]? Some big — oh yeah, Tom Cruise. Early on, [Spielberg] wanted to offer it to him. Have you heard that? He wanted to offer it to Tom Cruise. And my friend and countryman Bille August had done The House of the Spirits with all non-Latinos, and he got in so much hot water because of that,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Martin Campbell's "The Mask of Zorro" is one of the most rousing adventure films of the 1990s, a bracing throwback to old-school Errol Flynn swashbucklers that dazzles with masterfully staged sword fights. Perhaps most importantly, it's powered by an emotionally resonant narrative that raises the stakes sky-high, leading to a breathtaking climax that had audiences cheering all three times I saw the film theatrically.
Antonio Banderas is absolute perfection as Alejandro Murrieta, a rakish outlaw who becomes the unlikely successor to Anthony Hopkins' Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro. Murrieta also falls for Catherine Zeta Jones' beautiful and feisty Elena Montero, who does not know that her father, the evil Don Rafael Montero, stole her as an infant from de la Vega and his wife Esperanza (Julieta Rosen).
That Elena does not know her true lineage winds up being the heartfelt counterpart to the film's rollicking action. Indeed,...
Antonio Banderas is absolute perfection as Alejandro Murrieta, a rakish outlaw who becomes the unlikely successor to Anthony Hopkins' Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro. Murrieta also falls for Catherine Zeta Jones' beautiful and feisty Elena Montero, who does not know that her father, the evil Don Rafael Montero, stole her as an infant from de la Vega and his wife Esperanza (Julieta Rosen).
That Elena does not know her true lineage winds up being the heartfelt counterpart to the film's rollicking action. Indeed,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The film gods are a fickle bunch. If the flip of the coin had landed on a different outcome at various points in Hollywood history, the entire landscape of cinema as we know it could be completely changed. In fact, movie star Tom Cruise is something of a cottage industry to himself when it comes to major roles that he could've signed on for, but ended up little more than fascinating notes of trivia -- in our universe, at least. There's the infamous "Iron Man" scenario that could've seen him suit up as Tony Stark instead of Robert Downey, Jr., of course, along with the near-miss of starring in the classic "Shawshank Redemption." But there's one other little-known factoid that completes this little trilogy of alternate-history Cruise projects: one where he could've been cast as the lead of "The Mask of Zorro," incredibly enough.
Martin Campbell's beloved '90s...
Martin Campbell's beloved '90s...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
His predictive sci-fi action film "Minority Report" was still several years away, but in 1997, Steven Spielberg could already see the future.
At that time, Spielberg was an executive producer of "The Mask of Zorro," and during production, he sensed something in the air. In an interview earlier this year, "Zorro" star Antonio Banderas recounted what the famed filmmaker told him:
"Steven Spielberg said to me once when we were shooting, 'This is probably going to be one of the last Westerns shot in the way the Westerns were shot in the old days, with real scenes and real horses, where everything is real, real sword fighting, no CGI.' Everything was practical. And he said, 'But things are going to change. They're going to change and they're gonna change fast. And so you should be proud of this movie.' And I am, probably even more now than at the...
At that time, Spielberg was an executive producer of "The Mask of Zorro," and during production, he sensed something in the air. In an interview earlier this year, "Zorro" star Antonio Banderas recounted what the famed filmmaker told him:
"Steven Spielberg said to me once when we were shooting, 'This is probably going to be one of the last Westerns shot in the way the Westerns were shot in the old days, with real scenes and real horses, where everything is real, real sword fighting, no CGI.' Everything was practical. And he said, 'But things are going to change. They're going to change and they're gonna change fast. And so you should be proud of this movie.' And I am, probably even more now than at the...
- 12/11/2023
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
In a lot of ways, the release of Quentin Tarantino's 2012 film "Django Unchained" suggested a continuation of much of what he'd explored since the release of his monumental two-part film, 2003 and 2004's "Kill Bill" saga. He was exploring revenge, not just as a plot point but as an aesthetic unifier of many different filmmaking styles, whether it was the Kung Fu and anime influences of "Kill Bill," the '70s car chases of "Death Proof," or the World War 2 panorama of "Inglourious Basterds." Across all of those movies was a single overriding inspiration: the Italian, or Spaghetti, Westerns of the '60s and '70s.
"Django" was Tarantino's first movie to exist wholly in that vein. The theme of revenge was a major element for that film, and not just for its literal story of freed slave Django locating and rescuing his captured wife from plantation owner Calvin...
"Django" was Tarantino's first movie to exist wholly in that vein. The theme of revenge was a major element for that film, and not just for its literal story of freed slave Django locating and rescuing his captured wife from plantation owner Calvin...
- 11/5/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Miguel Bernardeau is opening up about his upcoming role as the iconic character Zorro!
The 26-year-old Elite actor will star in a new modern take, where he will play a new version of Diego de la Vega.
In a new interview, Miguel shared what it was like filming, how he relates to the character and more.
Check out what he said inside…
“He has to grow up really fast. He has to decide who he wants to be and he has to do it when still very young. Which also happened to me,” he told Variety.
Miguel opened up about how his grandfather was sick before his first audition (he auditioned seven times!), and he pushed through to try and get the role.
“Before the first one, I found out my grandfather was sick and then it went really badly. But I had this fire in me already, so I kept coming back,...
The 26-year-old Elite actor will star in a new modern take, where he will play a new version of Diego de la Vega.
In a new interview, Miguel shared what it was like filming, how he relates to the character and more.
Check out what he said inside…
“He has to grow up really fast. He has to decide who he wants to be and he has to do it when still very young. Which also happened to me,” he told Variety.
Miguel opened up about how his grandfather was sick before his first audition (he auditioned seven times!), and he pushed through to try and get the role.
“Before the first one, I found out my grandfather was sick and then it went really badly. But I had this fire in me already, so I kept coming back,...
- 10/15/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Spanish star Miguel Bernardeau can relate to “Zorro.”
“He has to grow up really fast. He has to decide who he wants to be and he has to do it when still very young. Which also happened to me,” he tells Variety in Cannes before the market premiere of his new show.
Following the success of “Elite,” Bernardeau has become a household name. But he doesn’t think about it when choosing his roles.
“I wish it was that simple. Also, I didn’t ‘choose’ this role – I auditioned for it seven times. Before the first one, I found out my grandfather was sick and then it went really badly. But I had this fire in me already, so I kept coming back.”
Mipcom opener “Zorro” is produced by L.A. and Madrid-based Secuoya Studios and directed by Javier Quintas. As reported by Variety, Prime Video has acquired rights for the U.
“He has to grow up really fast. He has to decide who he wants to be and he has to do it when still very young. Which also happened to me,” he tells Variety in Cannes before the market premiere of his new show.
Following the success of “Elite,” Bernardeau has become a household name. But he doesn’t think about it when choosing his roles.
“I wish it was that simple. Also, I didn’t ‘choose’ this role – I auditioned for it seven times. Before the first one, I found out my grandfather was sick and then it went really badly. But I had this fire in me already, so I kept coming back.”
Mipcom opener “Zorro” is produced by L.A. and Madrid-based Secuoya Studios and directed by Javier Quintas. As reported by Variety, Prime Video has acquired rights for the U.
- 10/15/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Ahead of its world premiere tonight, the Zorro TV series adaptation has landed a trio of European deals, as Mediawan Rights leans further into big-ticket IP.
M6 Groupe in France, Mediaset in Italy, Dpg Media’s Tvm channels in Flemish-speaking Belgium and Rtl Klub in Hungary have acquired the series, which is a Secuoya Studios production for Amazon Prime Video in the U.S, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Other deals are in negotiations.
The ten-part series premieres tonight at the Grand Auditorium in the Palais des Festivals, with the screening of the the iconic franchise’s reinterpretation followed by a Q&a with actors Miguel Bernardeau (Elite), Renata Notni and Dalia Xiuhcoatl and executives including Secuoya Studios’ Sergio Pizzolante.
Mediawan has been pushing into louder and more expensive scripted IP over the past few years, and has supercharged its efforts after striking a $100M+ funding deal with Entourage Ventures.
M6 Groupe in France, Mediaset in Italy, Dpg Media’s Tvm channels in Flemish-speaking Belgium and Rtl Klub in Hungary have acquired the series, which is a Secuoya Studios production for Amazon Prime Video in the U.S, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Other deals are in negotiations.
The ten-part series premieres tonight at the Grand Auditorium in the Palais des Festivals, with the screening of the the iconic franchise’s reinterpretation followed by a Q&a with actors Miguel Bernardeau (Elite), Renata Notni and Dalia Xiuhcoatl and executives including Secuoya Studios’ Sergio Pizzolante.
Mediawan has been pushing into louder and more expensive scripted IP over the past few years, and has supercharged its efforts after striking a $100M+ funding deal with Entourage Ventures.
- 10/15/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Robin Campillo’s strengths as both a writer and a director revolve around his ability to personalize the most sprawling of ensemble pieces, never allowing viewers to get lost despite the dozens of characters his stories introduce. Following his prior film Bpm, among the finest of the past decade, he has returned with another work that, while rooted in autobiography, has no interest in merely bringing his own formative memories to the screen. But while his previous feature put each of the characters in a wider shared journey within the Act Up movement, Red Island isn’t able to tie its vast ensemble quite as neatly; many central figures remain underdeveloped throughout, and a sudden shift in focus in the closing chapter only highlights how lacking for insight the movie is when it comes to exploring the post-colonial political backdrop of its Southern African setting.
Red Island is set in Madagascar in the early 1970s,...
Red Island is set in Madagascar in the early 1970s,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Alistair Ryder
- The Film Stage
Producer Savita Raj Hiremath’s 2006 Bollywood cult classic “Khosla Ka Ghosla!” is being remade in the Telugu, Marathi and Kannada languages, it was revealed on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market.
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee and written by Jaideep Sahni, the Hindi-language film followed Khosla, a Delhi-based retired middle-class man who tries to get his land back from a swindling property dealer with the help of his sons and their friends.
The Kannada version will be directed by Adarsh Eshwarappa (“Shuddhi”), the Telugu version by Vinod Anantoju (“Middle Class Melodies”) and the Marathi one by Kedar Shinde (“Baipan Bhari Deva”).
“To most Indians building a home in a lifetime is like a dream come true. It is relatable to a pan-Indian audience as property fraud is paramount and witnessed in large measure. Thus the remakes of ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla!’ will be apt...
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee and written by Jaideep Sahni, the Hindi-language film followed Khosla, a Delhi-based retired middle-class man who tries to get his land back from a swindling property dealer with the help of his sons and their friends.
The Kannada version will be directed by Adarsh Eshwarappa (“Shuddhi”), the Telugu version by Vinod Anantoju (“Middle Class Melodies”) and the Marathi one by Kedar Shinde (“Baipan Bhari Deva”).
“To most Indians building a home in a lifetime is like a dream come true. It is relatable to a pan-Indian audience as property fraud is paramount and witnessed in large measure. Thus the remakes of ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla!’ will be apt...
- 10/7/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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