Robert Rodriguez’s long-anticipated gender-swapped ‘Zorro’ series has officially found a new home at CBS, with co-writing support from John Hlavin.
The renowned filmmaker, known for his work on titles such as ‘El Mariachi,’ ‘Machete,’ and ‘Spy Kids,’ has been pursuing this project for several years. Rodriguez has a unique connection to the ‘Zorro’ legacy, having nearly directed the 1998 film ‘The Mask of Zorro’ and being attached to a television adaptation since December 2021.
Initially set up at NBC, the project featured a script by Alfredo Barrios Jr. and Rebecca Rodriguez, Robert’s sister, and included Sofia Vergara as part of the creative team. The project later moved to The CW in 2022, where Vergara departed, and Sean Tretta from ‘Mayans M.C.’ joined to co-write with Rebecca. With The CW scaling back its scripted series, CBS now takes the reins, having supported the project from the start.
The new ‘Zorro’ series will follow a young Latinx woman who discovers her late father was the legendary hero. Taking on his masked identity, she aims to protect her Austin, Texas community from powerful interests seeking to exploit them.
John Hlavin, known for his work on Showtime’s adaptation of ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth,’ will collaborate with Rebecca Rodriguez to create an original script for the series. Both are hopeful that this iteration will successfully come to fruition.
Rodriguez’s ‘Zorro’ is not the only adaptation in development. A French series starring Jean Dujardin premiered on Paramount+ earlier this month, and a Spanish-language version launched on Prime Video in January. Additionally, Wilmer Valderrama is developing his own ‘Zorro’ series for Disney+, in collaboration with ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Bryan Cogman.
As the interest in Zorro continues to grow, the character remains a significant figure in the landscape of television and film adaptations.
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