Posted in: Movies, Sony | Tagged: Antonio Banderas, film, sony pictures, The Legend of Zorro, The Mask of Zorro
The Mask of Zorro Director Shares His Thoughts on a Third Film
The director of The Mask of Zorro expresses his interest in a potential third film and what would be required to make the story work.
Article Summary
- Zorro director Martin Campbell is keen on the idea of a third film with Antonio Banderas.
- Campbell hints at passing the torch, making Banderas the mentor to a new Zorro.
- The Mask of Zorro franchise has earned over $400 million despite mixed sequel reviews.
- Nostalgia and box office success suggest a potential return for Zorro in Hollywood.
It's impossible to go a week without news of a nostalgia project getting greenlit—which, in many instances, is actually exciting—consisting of both expected property revivals and a few surprising ones. Now, both the star and director of the film The Mask of Zorro have admitted that they're open to the idea of more Zorro in the future.
When asked about his interest in returning for a third film all these years later (with star Antonio Banderas), the film's director, Martin Campbell, explains that he's still open to the idea. However, it would also require the movie to pass the torch once more, which is something Banderas himself has suggested in the past. Campbell tells ComicBook.com, "Absolutely. [Banderas is] terrific. He was fantastic to work with. I did do a sequel of it, which wasn't quite successful, but then I thought he did some terrific stuff on that." The director goes on to add, "He was terrific, absolutely. Where he becomes the Anthony Hopkins character right away, he'd bring in a new Zorro. It's a perfect circle, really, isn't it?"
The Mask of Zorro Box Office Performance and Plot Summary
The 1998 film The Mask of Zorro received plenty of attention upon release, eventually earning the less popular sequel (The Legend of Zorro) that dropped several years later in 2005. Between the two films, the revamped franchise surpassed the $400 million threshold despite any negative reception. And from a studio perspective, that typically suggests that it still seems possible, right?
After being imprisoned for 20 years, Zorro — Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) — receives word that his old enemy, Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson), has returned. Don Diego escapes and returns to his old headquarters, where he trains aimless drunk Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas) to be his successor. Meanwhile, Montero — who has secretly raised Diego's daughter, Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones), as his own — hatches a plot to rob California of its gold.
