Lantica Media announced on Sept. 2015 that it has partnered with Sobini Films to produce a reboot of the much-beloved masked hero, "Zorro," but it wasn't until Feb 4, 2016 that the two companies finally announced that they have signed on the perfect writer and director for the reboot in Jonás Cuarón. Cuarón is co-writer for the 2013 Academy Award winning film Science Fiction Thriller, "Gravity," directed by his father Alfonso Cuarón.
Jonás is acting as both writer and director for the film and both Lantica and Sobini fully support his vision for the re-imagined "Zorro" to the point that they allowed him to scrap their original idea for a post-apocalyptic setting and focus instead on a futuristic plot.
"His love of cinema is evident in his work and he is very talented in his ability to tell a compelling story. We look forward to seeing where his vision will take us," Lantica Media's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Antonio Gennari said.
Principal photography for the futuristic "Zorro" film, currently titled "Z," will begin in Summer in the Dominican Republic and, while there is no target release date yet, Sobini Films CEO Mark Amin already projects a budget of between $30 million and $100 million.
"We hope to use the studio's water tank but are open to shooting in other locations outside of the Dominican Republic if the script calls for it," he said.
That's a lot of room for Jonás to let his imagination run a little wild considering his last written and directed film "Desierto," which starred Gael Garcia Bernal and won the National Critics Award at the Toronto Film Festival, was made for just around $3 million.
Then again, it's no surprise that Sobini Films is willing to give Jonás the financing he needs, its CEO was greatly impressed with Jonás' $3 million film, after all.
"When I saw Desierto, I was impressed with Jonas' command of action and suspense, his great visual eye, and the strong performances he elicited from his actors," Amin said.
Pantelion Films will handle international sales for "Z."
