The 48-year-old Peruvian American filmmaker, a recipient of a 2021 MacArthur Genius grant, will write and direct Zorro 2.0for Sobini Films.
The film reimagines the iconic character as Oscar de la Vega, a young, undocumented hacker known as ‘z0rr0.’ While fighting back against a secret government unit that attacked his mother, he discovers a high-tech conspiracy that threatens not only his family but the world.
“I’ve always been interested in films that address real-world issues through genre,” Rivera said in a statement to Deadline. “This project is an opportunity to connect Zorro—the original masked avenger—to today’s border wars, a conflict in which immigrant families are pitted against regimes of hi-tech surveillance and government control. ‘Zorro 2.0’ will be visually elevated, socially grounded, sci-fi cinema, and I’m thrilled to be working with Sobini to get this vision on the screen.”
Sobini Films’ Mark Amin, Cami Winikoff and Tyler Boehm will produce. John Gertz of Zorro Productions International and Michael Helfant of Amasia Entertainment will serve as executive producers.
Zorro is a fictional character created by Johnston McCulley in 1919 widely recognized by his all-black costume featuring a sombrero, cape and mask. He’s been portrayed multiple times on the big and small screen by actors including Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power and Frank Langella.
Antonio Banderas most recently played the mysterious vigilante in 1998’s The Mask of Zorro and its 2005 sequel The Legend of Zorro.
A Zorro drama series with a female lead was being developed at NBC from Robert Rodriguez and Sofia Vergara last December.
Rivera made his feature film debut with 2008’s cyberpunk thriller Sleep Dealer set at the U.S.-Mexico border. He followed that with the doc/scripted hybrid The Infiltratorsthat tells a true story about an immigrant detention center. A scripted series based on the film is being adapted for the small screen by Blumhouse Television.
The 61-year-old Spanish Oscar-nominated actor has joined the cast of Banshee, which will also star Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan.
Hailing from director Jon Keeyes, the film follows a freelance assassin, codenamed Banshee (King), who is ambushed by Anthony Greene (Flanagan), a powerful mercenary who killed her father, and who is now seeking to collect a bounty on Caleb (Banderas), her former black ops mentor.
Caleb went underground five years prior, triggering a race against time as Banshee must find and protect Caleb before Greene and his army of hired killers can find him and take him down.
“Banshee is a complex story of revenge and family, and having this incredibly talented cast to bring these characters to life is a dream,” Keeyes said.
“Banshee” is produced by Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman of Yale Productions, alongside Keeyes of Highland Myst, from a script by Matthew Rogers, who wrote the trio’s previous movie, The Survivalist.
Shaun Sanghani also serves as a producer on the film.
“We’re excited to have such as amazing cast for this wall-to-wall action movie,” said Yale Levine and Beckerman. “Antonio Banderas is a legend and having him alongside Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan in such a high-energy film is going to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.”
Banderas recently earned an Oscar nomination for his work in Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory and also recently starred in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Other credits include The Mask of Zorro, Desperado and Evita.
Banderas will next be seen starring in the upcoming Indiana Jones film, Uncharted, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Diego Luna is being celebrated for his platinum career.
This year’s seventh edition of the Ibero-American Platino Awards (Premios Platinos) will honor the 41-year-old Mexican actor, director, producer and festival organizer with the Platino Award of Honor.
An itinerant award show by design, this year’s Platinos will be held on October 3 in Madrid.
Luna will be the youngest recipient of the career achievement honor, joining previous winners Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez, often simply referred to as Raphael, one of Spain’s most iconic entertainers of the 20th century; Adriana Barraza, the Oscar nominated Spanish-English-language crossover star of Alejandro Iñárritu’s Babel and Amores Perros; Oscar and three time Primetime Emmy nominee Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver); Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory); and Primetime Emmy (The Burning Season) and BAFTA (“Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos) nominee Sonia Braga.
A child actor who excelled from an early age, Luna’s first film appearance was in Javier Bourges’ 1991 Mexican Academy Award-nominated short The Last New Year.” He appeared in several telenovelas throughout the ‘90s, joined on screen for the first time by his longtime collaborator and close friend Gael García Bernal in El abuelo y yo in 1992. Alternating between film and television over the next decade, his international breakout came with García Bernal and Spain’s Marbel Verdú in Alfonso Cuarón’s seminal coming-of-age road trip film “Y Tu Mamá También.”
Shortly after, Luna began his Hollywood career appearing alongside Bon Jovi in John Carpenter’s Vampires: Los Muertos and in Salma Hayek’s Oscar-winning biopic Frida.
In the decades since, Luna has continued to work on both Latin American and U.S. productions while also taking turns as a producer, writer and director. He also, again with García Bernal, launched the nomadic documentary film festival Ambulante, as well as their own production label, first Canana in 2005 and now La Corriente del Golfo.
Most recently, he created and hosts the Amazon Original conversation series Pan y Circo and is starring in the Disney+’s Andor, a spinoff series following his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character Cassian Andor.
He was also recently confirmed as a voice actor for Netflix’s upcoming animated series Maya and the Three, where he will team with frequent collaborator Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life).
Last year’s ceremony was, like so many, forced online by the COVID-19 pandemic. But this time around, the Platinos are planning an in-person event to celebrate the best offerings from the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American screen industries.
At 11 nominations each, the two standout titles are Fernando Trueba’s Colombian drama Memories of My Father and Jayro Bustamante’s Guatemalan thriller La Llorona.
The Platino Awards are promoted by EGEDA (Spain’s Entity for the Rights Management of Audiovisual Producers) and FIPCA (the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers) and have the support of the Ibero-American film academies and institutes as well as numerous sponsors in Europe and Latin America.
Penelope Cruz’s latest project is headed to theaters in United Kingdom…
The 47-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress’ Spanish-language comedy Official Competition, co-starring Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martínez, has been acquired for UK distribution by Protagonist Pictures.
The announcement came ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
In Official Competition, Oscar winner Cruz plays renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas, who is recruited by a billionaire entrepreneur who impulsively decides to create an iconic movie. Banderas stars as Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero, and joining them is Argentinian actor Oscar Martínez (The Distinguished Citizen), who plays radical theatre actor Iván Torres.
The Spanish-language comedy, directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat from a script they wrote with Andrés Duprat, will also screen in the Special Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival and will open this year’s Perlak Section at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Produced by The Mediapro Studio, the film has already sold to a string of international indie buyers.
“We are incredibly excited to work with such a talented cast and such lauded directors. We’re thrilled to bring this hilarious and witty film to UK audiences at a time when it is much needed,” said Curzon officials.
Protagonist CCO George Hamilton added: “Our friends at Curzon have a prodigious record in delivering high-quality films to discerning UK audiences, making them the perfect partners to distribute this whip-smart comedy, led by A-list talent at the top of their game, and helmed by some of Spain’s most fiercely talented filmmakers. We know Official Competition is in the best hands possible.”
The 60-year-old Spanish Oscar-nominated actor will portray an Italian crime reporter in his latest television role.
Banderas, who starred as Pablo Picasso in Nat Geo’s Genius, will play Mario Spezi, a reporter who alongside American fiction writer Douglas Preston, investigated one of the most notorious serial murder cases in Europe.
The limited series project, which comes from Nikolaj Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen, is in development with Studiocanal.
It is based on Preston and Spezi’s book The Monster of Florence: A True Story, the investigation into a serial killer who killed 14 people between 1974 and 1985 in the Italian province. Preston and Spezi uncovered mistakes made by police in their investigations of the crimes, all of which were tied to young couples killed during romantic rendezvous in the Italian countryside.
Preston and Spezi at one point became entangled in the case and accused by police of crimes associated with the murders.
Arcel and Jensen will write and Arcel will direct.
Banderas and Emanuel Nunez will executive produce.
The 60-year-old Oscar-nominated actor will star opposite Kate Bosworth and 2 Chainz in Millennium’s crime thriller The Enforcer.
Richard Hughes is on board as director for the project, which is being sold at the Cannes virtual market.
Written by Peter Iliff, the story follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss is now engaged in crimes even he wouldn’t commit. This puts a young runaway at risk and the enforcer must now put everything on the line to safe the girl from the crime organization he has spent his life working for.
Banderas is the enforcer while Bosworth is the femme fatale. 2 Chainz is a crime kingpin.
Banderas received an Academy Award nomination for his work in Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory. He’s currently appearing in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
Pilar Palomero is celebrating a Girls night like no other…
The 40-year-old Spanish film director and screenwriter’s coming-of-age story The Girlshas taken home the top prizes, including best picture, at the 35th annual Goya Awards.
The annual Spain awards show, hosted by Antonio Banderas, also saw Palomero’s drama win the prizes for new director, original screenplay and cinematography.
The 35th Goya Awards adopted a hybrid format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and featured talent presenting and receiving awards virtually or on-site at an audience-less Teatro del Soho CaixaBank.
Among the Hollywood names presenting the event’s various awards were Pedro Almódovar, Penélope Cruz, J.A. Bayona, Alejandro Amenábar and Paz Vega.
The ceremony also featured pre-recorded messages from a number of Hollywood names including Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and Charlize Theron.
1492: Conquest of ParadiseandBroken Embracesactress Angelina Molina took home the ceremony’s Honorary Goya award.
Here’s the full list of winners at the 35th annual Goya Awards:
FILM The Girls (Pilar Palomero)
DIRECTOR
Salvador Calvo (Adú)
NEW DIRECTOR
Pilar Palomero (The Girls)
ACTRESS
Patricia López Arnaiz (Ane)
ACTOR
Mario Casas (No matarás)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nathalie Poza (Rosa’s Wedding)
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alberto San Juan (Sentimental)
NEW ACTRESS
Jone Laspiur (Ane)
NEW ACTOR
Adam Nourou (Adú)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Pilar Palomero (The Girls)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
David Pérez Sañudo, Marina Parés Pulido (Ane)
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Ana Parra, Luis Fernández Lago (Adú)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Daniela Cajías (The Girls)
EDITING
Sergio Jiménez (The Year of the Discovery)
ART DIRECTION
Mikel Serrano (Akelarre)
COSTUME DESIGN
Nerea Torrijos (Akelarre)
MAKEUP AND HAIR DESIGN
Beata Wotjowicz, Ricardo Molina (Akelarre)
SOUND
Eduardo Esquide, Jamaica Ruíz García, Juan Ferro, Nicolas de Poulpiquet (Adú)
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Mariano García Marty, Ana Rubio, (Akelarre)
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Aránzazu Calleja, Maite Arroitajauregi (Akelarre)
ORIGINAL SONG
“Que no, que no,” (María Rozalén for Rosa’s Wedding)
ANIMATED FEATURE Turu, the Wacky Hen (Eduardo Gondell, Víctor Monigote)
DOCUMENTARY The Year of the Discovery (Luis López Carrasco)
IBERO-AMERICAN FILM Forgotten We’ll Be (Fernando Trueba, Colombia)
EUROPEAN PICTURE The Father (Florian Zeller, U.K., France)
LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM A la cara (Javier Marco)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT Biography of a Woman’s Corpse (Mabel Lozano)
ANIMATED SHORT FILM Blue & Malone: Casos imposibles (Abraham López Guerrero)
The Spanish filmmaker’s Netflix drama Adú is the frontrunner for this year’s Premios Goya (Goya Awards), Spain’s top film honors.
Calvo’s film earned 14 nominations, including nods for best film and best director.
Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.
The Goyas 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missingfrom David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín‘s La boda de Rosa, Pilar Palomero‘s The Girls, andThe People Upstairsaka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay.
In addition to Calvo and Bollaín, the best director category this year includes Juanma Bajo Ulloa, nominated for his horror thriller Baby, and veteran filmmaker Isabel Coixet for It Snows in Benidorm.
Contenders for the best Ibero-American film include Chilean documentary The Mole Agent, Forgotten We’ll Befrom Columbian filmmaker Fernando Trueba, the Guatemalan horror film The Curse of la Llorona, and Fernando Frias‘ Mexican drama I’m No Longer Here.
Last year, Pedro Almodóvar’s semi-autobiographical drama Pain and Glorywas the big winner at the Goyas, winning seven honors, including for best picture, director, original screenplay, and best actor for Antonio Banderas.
The 2021 Goya Awards will be held in a live-streamed ceremony from the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in Málaga on Saturday, March 6. Banderas will direct this year’s award ceremony and will present the 35th Goya Awards together with Spanish journalist María Casado.
Here’s the full list of nominations for the 35th Goya Awards:
Best Film Adú Ane Is Missing La boda de Rosa The Girls The People Upstairs
Best Director Salvador Calvo for Adú Juanma Bajo Ulloa for Bafrom Icíar Bollain for La boda de Rosa Isabel Coixet for It Snows in Benidorm
Best Novel Adaptation Pilar Palomero for The Girls David Pérez Sañudo for Ane is Missing Bernabé Rico for El inconvenient Núria Giménez Lorang for My Mexican Bretzel
Best Actress Amaia Aberasturi for Coven
Andrea Fandós for The Girls Patricia López Arnaiz for Ane is Missing Candela Peña for La boda de Rosa
Best Actor Mario Casas for Cross the Line Javier Cámara for The People Upstairs Ernesto Alterio for A Normal World David Verdaguer for One for All
Best Supporting Actress Juana Acosta for El inconvenient Verónica Echegui for My Heart Goes Boom! Natalia de Molina for The Girls Nathalie Poza for La boda de Rosa
Best Supporting Actor Sergi López for La boda de Rosa Juan Diego Botto for The Europeans Alberto San Juan for The People Upstairs Álvaro Cervantes for Adú
Best Actress Newcomer Jone Laspiur for Ane is Missing Paula Usero for La boda de Rosa Milena Smith for Cross the Line Griselda Siciliani for The People Upstairs
Best Actor Newcomer Adam Nourou for Adú Chema del Barco for The Plan Janick for Historias lamentables Fernando Valdivielso for Cross the Line
Best Original Screenplay Adu La boda de Rosa Historias lamentables The Girls
Best Adapted Screenplay The People Upstairs Ane is Missing The Europeans Unknown Origins
Best Animated Film Turu, the Wacky Hen
Best Documentary Anatomía de un dandy Drowning Letters The Year of the Discovery My Mexican Bretzel
Best European Film Corpus Christi from Poland The Father from the United Kingdom An Officer and A Spy from France Falling from the United Kingdom
Best Ibero-American Film El agente topo from Chile El olvido que seremos from Colombia La llorona from Guatemala Ya no estoy aquí from México
Best Cinematography Adú Coven Black Beach The Girls
Best Production Design Adú Coven Black Beach It Snows in Benidorm
Best Original Music Adú Coven Baby El verano que vivimos
Best Original Song Adú El verano que vivimos La boda de Rosa The Girls
Best Editing Adú Black Beach The Year of the Discovery The Girls
Best Sound Adú Coven Black Beach The Plan
Best Art Direction Adú Coven Black Beach The Girls
Best Costume Design Coven My Heart Goes Boom! The Girls The Europeans
Best Makeup and Hairdressing Adú Coven My Heart Goes Boom! Unknown Origins
The announcement of Spain’s 2021 Goya Awards nominations, led by the 69-year-old Spanish actress, has been rescheduled for next Monday, January 18 due to heavy snow in the country’s capital.
The initial plan was for Belén and actor Dani Rovira to announce the Premios Goya nominees this morning, accompanied by the president of Spain’s Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, Mariano Barroso.
But the country’s extreme weather, which has caused widespread disruption, has led to Spanish Academy to delay the nominations for Spain’s version of the Academy Awards by a week.
Storm Filomena has blanketed parts of the country in snow, in particular the capital of Madrid, which saw up to 20 centimeteres in the last 24 hours, closing much of the city. At least three people have died in the adverse conditions, which is Spain’s heaviest snowfall for 50 years.
The Film Academy issued a notice that it had received official recommendation not to go ahead with the event.
The 35th Goyas ceremony is due to take place on March 6, 2021, with Spanish star Antonio Banderas hosting.
The snowfall began on Friday night, January 8, closing roads and leaving people stranded on the motorways around Madrid. The city’s airport was also closed, and all trains cancelled to and from the capital.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a notice for people to stay home, while King Felipe and Queen Letizia posted a similar message on Twitter urging “extreme caution.”
Sofia Vergara isn’t masking her excitement for her latest project…
The 48-year-old Colombian actress has teamed up with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and his writer-director sister Rebecca Rodriguez to develop Zorro, a contemporary take on the classic masked vigilante character with a gender swap, for NBC.
The project’s creative team includes Vergara’s LatinWe production company, as well as Ben Siverman and Howard T. Owens’ Propagate. CBS Studios, where Propagate has a deal, will co-produce with Universal Television.
Co-written by the Rodriguezes and to be directed by Rebecca, Zorro centers on Sola Dominguez, an underground artist who fights for social injustice as contemporary version of the mythical Zorro. Her life is threatened by several criminal organizations after she exposes them.
Propagate set out to develop a television series re-imagining of Zorro with a female protagonist last season as one of the company’s first projects under its first-look deal with CBS Studios. The idea’s first incarnation, written by Alfredo Barrios Jr., also was set up at NBC.
Vergara and Silverman are frequent collaborators; they have teamed to produce together several projects over the past decade while Silverman was at Electus and after he joined Propagate, including the ABC drama seriesKiller Women.
Vergara received Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for her starring role on ABC’s Modern Family. Her feature credits include the Warner Bros. buddy comedy Hot Pursuit, which she also produced. Additionally, she executive produced the Spanish version of Desperate Housewives.
Robert Rodriguez was attached to direct The Mask of Zorro and cast Antonio Banderas as the title role before leaving the feature project. In television, he developed and executive produced the series adaptation of his movie From Dusk Till Dawn for his television network El Rey and also executive produced the Spy Kids animated series offshoot for Netflix. He recently directed an episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Rebecca Rodriguez’s recent directing credits include episodes of TNT’s Snowpiercerand Showtime’s The Chi.
