Posted in: Disney+, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, preview, Wilmer Valderrama, zorro

Zorro: Bryan Cogman to Showrun, EP Wilmer Valderrama, Disney+ Series

Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) has been tapped to write, showrun & executive produce Disney+ and Wilmer Valderrama's upcoming Zorro series.

Published Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:30:11 -0600

by Ray Flook

Comments

A little more than a year after learning that Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show, NCIS) was set to star in & executive produce a series take on Zorro, Deadline Hollywood is reporting exclusively that Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) has been tapped to serve as writer, showrunner & executive producer. The streaming series from Disney+ sees privileged caballero Diego De La Vega returning to his hometown of El Pueblo de Los Angeles following a family tragedy. Once there, he discovers a culture of corruption and injustice that will eventually lead him to take on the mantle of the masked vigilante Zorro – America's first true superhero. Valderrama and Cogman will executive produce alongside Gary Marsh (outgoing president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television) and John Gertz of Zorro Productions Inc.

"Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero," Valderrama said when the news was first announced. "As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility in the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true."

As fans of the character know, the upcoming series adaptation is far from the famed hero's first time on the big or small screens. In the 1950s, ABC aired a series that starred Guy Williams as well as Gene Sheldon, George J. Lewis, and Henry Calvin. The series would go on to run from 1957 and 1959, clocking in a total of 78 episodes between 1957 and 1959 (with four hour-long episodes airing in the early 1960s). In addition, The CW is developing a female-led take on Zorro from Robert Rodriguez & Rebecca Rodriguez. "We're reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense and humor of the original, iconic Zorro," said Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television. "Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!