Zorro Remake Reveals First New Look At Iconic Swashbuckling Hero

Deadline reports that Paramount+ and France Télévisions have confirmed their partnership on upcoming, working-titled series Zorro along with revealing a first image of Dujardin in the role. He is seen donning the famous black hat and mask and riding high with his horse. Zorro will launch later this year on Paramount+ before being broadcast on France Télévisions.

The new, eight episode show is set in 1821. Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro becomes mayor of Los Angeles in order to help improve his beloved city. L.A. is facing financial issues thanks to a local businessman and Diego soon discovers his powers as mayor are not enough to fight injustice. Sounds like it’s time to use his Zorro identity, although it’s not that simple. He hasn’t been Zorro for 20 years and struggles to balance his dual identity, causing strain on his marriage with his wife unaware of his big secret.

Further Zorro cast members include Audrey Dana, Salvatore Ficarra, André Dussolier, Eric Elmosnino and Grégory Gadebois.

There have been many Zorro series before this one, both live action and animated. Zorro, also called The New Zorro, New World Zorro, or Zorro 1990, was a tv series starring Duncan Regehr for 88 episodes on The Family Channel from 1990 to 1993. 

More recently, That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama was said to be taking on the role for a Zorro tv series.

Sofía Vergara was once an executive producer on a Zorro show that would have followed a female descendant from the Zorro bloodline, but it was canceled during early development.

In addition, Zorro is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. It’s a 10-episode, Spanish-language series that’s a tale of three Zorros; the late El Zorro (Cristo Fernández), the chosen successor Diego de la Vega (Miguel Bernardeau), and Nah-Lin (Dalia Xiuhcoatl) who feels cheated out of her right to take over the job.

When it comes to movies, The Mark of Zorro was a 1974 made for tv movie starring Frank Langella as Zorro. Then, Antonio Banderas was Zorro twice; 1998’s The Mask of Zorro and its 2005 follow-up The Legend of Zorro alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones. Banderas has said he was passed the Zorro torch from Anthony Hopkins who also played the character.

Banderas has said he would be open to doing a third film, but would then like to pass the torch on to someone like Tom Holland.

Along with being an actor, Dujardin is a stand-up comedian. He won his Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the acclaimed comedy-drama film The Artist. He was the first French actor to do it.

Dujardin is also known for his roles in The Wolf of Wall Street and The Monuments Men.

Source: Deadline