Zorro: The Franchise For The Modern Moment? - Reboot It: S3 E4

[@pillowtomydot]

This was so much fun to listen to. I really appreciate what you guys are doing and look forward to it every week.

[@AldenDiaz]

This was definitely one of the most successful reboots you guys have crafted thus far. Loved every minute of it. I think Ed put it best when he emphasized that this iteration has a revolutionary heart. Well said, and a very necessary contribution. In terms of casting, I think you pretty much nailed it there as well. I'm a huge supporter of Billy's Camila Mendes pick. She's great. Definitely ready for that big silver screen role. And my pick for Director would be Alejandro G. Inarritu.

[@MoramothHauntz]

Love when you guys get out of the scifi/comic book/ fantasy IPs. Loved Zorro as kid I want to say I watched the 50's version and definitely the 90's movies Actors/actresses I feel should be in the conversation: Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoey Saldana, Becky G.

[@Steven-fs3fw]

Another great episode! The second you brought up the female lead my mind was screaming "Camila Mendes" and i'm glad someone brought her into the conversation

[@JamilynParks]

That was pretty fun. Years ago I worked on an officially licensed Zorro project that never happened (long story). You guys covered some similar ground that we did. We actually did have it set a little later. It wasn't quite steampunk, but we had it vaguely around the time California became a state, but most likely before the invention of the car. We also incorporated characters inspired by John Henry, Nikola Tesla, and pirates... with some minor sci-fi elements sprinkled in. I love the world we were building, but it did stray from the source material and would not have worked well in a feature film. I think you guys did a nice job of staying faithful to the legend while bringing something new to the table. Some decent casting suggestions too. I could definitely see Robert Rodriguez directing a PG-13 Zorro. I'd also love some production by like a Blumhouse or A24, or some studio of that ilk.

[@williamcastonzo138]

Love this anecdote! That project sounds both amazing and a perfect example of "Too Much Marzipan." I love the concept of the Wold-Newton shared universe and I've seen great things done with it (chiefly in the form of the comic book Planetary). But it gets unwieldy and/or eye-rolly real quick too.

[@EdGreer]

Thanks for that thoughtful comment! We try to stay as faithful as necessary while also updating these things for modern sensibilities. I’m proud that we were able to hew close the the source material while adding something necessary, which is the name of the game.

[@josefonseca6144]

Revenge is at the heart of any zorro story because the real life equivalent that the character is based on is a revenge story, with the political back drop of a mass migration of Yankees into Mexican territory displacing them and cheating them off their land rights as the catalyst. Of course the story is set slight prior to the 49ner gold rush, when California and Texas wanted independence from Mexico, but that corneal of revenge for foreign land grabbers is still important. Great job with this reboot.

[@Fillmore.Pockets]

Awesome episode! "The mark of....Zorro (*echo effect) ...Zorro (*echo effect)!" Hahaha Love the story and casting. I think you guys nailed it. Tyler Posey is Zorro! Jeffrey Wright should be in the conversation as the Criolllo bad guy looking for generational wealth in a new world and I would move away from Spain and towards South America post Bourbon Dynasty. Have Jefferey play the role as a mix between Peoples Hernandez (Shaft) and Dr. Valentin Narcisse (Boardwalk Empire). Alexa Demie (Eds pick I think), Eiza Gonzalez, or if you really want to make a statement YaYa DaCosta as the Outlaw lady lead. For the director on this reboot you gotta get the guy who turned down Marvel, Fede Alvarez of Evil Dead remake fame, and also a South American Native. So glad everyone took this one serious and treated it with respect. Been a Zorro fan since "The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour"! "The Mark of...Zorro!"

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

A litany of great suggestions here! Fede Alvarez is a terrific director choice, that Evil Dead remake was raw and filthy with style.

[@barbararowley6077]

It’s well within the bounds of possibility to have an internal combustion engine in the 1840’s. There were gas engines developed in the 1790’s, and 1840 is only three decades before the modern engine was patented.

[@zionthedon7745]

Man I love you guys. I thought, based on the photo you posted, that you were doing The Princess Bride. I think that would be great for a future episode. But this one was fantastic!

[@wicked17writer]

I like it when you don't fight but I love it when you do. That said, love the passion in this episode. 💛

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

We feel the same but the inverse about fighting! We like it when we fight, but we love it when we don't.

[@cerebrokid86]

Loved this episode. He was also a big part of my early childhood. Made me go back and rewatch Mask of Zorro.

[@UnionShen]

Another excellent episode, thanks guys!

[@zachdoesart]

Awesome Episode! very strong pitch, though I am surprised that the leads of the last zorro movie didn't come up in conversation while casting the parents. Abit cliché at this point but would have added some fun chemistry to the movie. Can't wait for the next one!

[@willmcswain1971]

Love this character, and I LOVE this pitch. This really could be the best Zorro on film, love the origin angle and the growth of the hero....nice work y'all.

[@GitShiddy]

Good episode, I love the twist of the Gold Rush being bullcrap & the concept of the news & government tricking people for the corporate futurist of capitalism is perfectly on point for now & the time. A couple things that stuck out to me. Ed calling Pedro Pascal a "hero actor" he is a turncoat in everything except Mandalorian, it's basically typecasting for him to be this role. To obvious but I'm digging Oscar Isaac, he'd nail that cold futurist (Ex Machina) and inform that personable charm he imparts to his son Zorro. People sleep on how good Rosa Salazar is (cause they keep turning her into a cartoon, Alita & the great show Undone) she'd be my choice for Vittoria. Also on that front a plot point stuck out for me regarding Vittoria's backstory that she was the daughter of say a teacher or someone who worked for the Delavegas specifically with Don Diego. This person & family becomes close to the child but they had "radical politics" according to The Delavegas that they feared would "poison" their son. So from Don Diego's perspective his parents gifted that family with land & homeownership, an act of altruism. But the reality was that they gifted them a homestead on salted lands, starving them for a season & then had "goons" (actually police) burn the house & land whilst they slept, Vittoria barely escaped, her parents die (all Zorro's Mother's idea btw). This may be heavy handed (and albeit fairly hack) but it's meant to put a fine point on how the rich don't see truth, they don't see people, they don't see strife. It's that "money irons the creases" concept so expertly stated in Parasite as motivation for Vittoria & the awakening moment of empathy & reality that birth's Zorro. Which I only mention because the central point of "Why does Don Diego become Zorro?" felt a little glossed over in the final pitch. Otherwise, nailed it.

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

I love your pitch.

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

Super quality addition. 👍

[@GitShiddy]

@@REBOOTITSHOW Just building off the great stuff already there.

[@ImranTheGreatest]

Missed the premiere. Sad about it, but hopefully see ya next ep!!!

[@David-rq9en]

My brain would not revert from either Melissa Barrera or Mishel Prada. They played sisters in Vida. I think another strategy to cast supporting characters is to cast actors from Mexican telenovelas.

[@rmawse3976]

When Bill mentioned wanting a twist I thought have Zorro be two brothers. You could have one is the nobleman's son, as Ed suggested on the hunt for Zorro and then the brother is actually a bastard who the family hid the existence of and was abandoned to live in poverty, thats who become Zorro. You could then have the big twist that no one realised the noble brother stayed close to the bastard as they grew and Zorro is actually both of them, working together and switching places.

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

Now that is quite a twist! Prestige it!!

[@rmawse3976]

@@REBOOTITSHOW That was the other thought I had, have them as twins and only reveal that late in the film Prestige style, possibly after shocking the audience by killing Zorro but then he appears again

[@langleymneely]

I think your perfect Victoria is Eiza Gonzalez from Daby Driver. She gives you everything Ana de Armas has but is far more believable with a harder outlaw edge to her.

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

You're not wrong.

[@tunisiaharris9471]

In some versions of the story they focus on him being half native American and seeing what happens to them is partly what motivates him I would love to see that focused on n and it would give some native actors a good chance

[@JackClockerinos]

It's a more recent addition to the lore, but yes, that would be interesting to see

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

We weren't aware of this wrinkle on the story, but it's definitely an interesting addition. The only concern would be when you make Zorro himself mestizo, it loses some of the thematic clarity of a member of the privileged class rejecting the system which benefits him. If Don Diego were half-Spanish, half-native, he and his family would already be ostracized from the upper echelons of society. That changes a lot of the setup we wanted to play with. But it could be a fun totally alternate take on the origin.

[@tunisiaharris9471]

In the stories where he is mestizo its his mother who is native and she was a warrior but she married his dad and embrace that culture. His father is so powerful that they accept her socially on a surface level. How native grandmother is a wise woman and they are the ones who teach him how to tame tornado.

[@JackClockerinos]

@@REBOOTITSHOW I completely agree with you. This is why I hesitate when people want to make Diego a Native American, ect. It's the fact that he has all his wealth and privilege but chooses to fight for the people anyways that makes him a hero. Not to say that Zorro HAS to be that way, there's been Zorros who are POC, Native American, poor, ect. But Diego himself has to be a Spanish nobleman otherwise it wouldn't work

[@KnightFallProd]

I'm like 30 minutes in and it sounds kinda like you're pitching a version o Zorro Begins. Which is great.

[@TheRealJameson505]

The Mask of Zorro is soooo GOOD!

[@mjwashingtonjr2184]

Before I Watch this I will like to say this is my late Grandfather favorite

[@publicdreamer]

Definitely adding this to the list of "Reboot It movies I'm incredibly bummed aren't going to be real movies" Also, Becky G (from the 2017 Power Rangers) could be another good potential for Victoria.

[@Lear-Siy-Deral]

Would be cool if his motivation to put the mask for the first time was to capture her (without killing her like the authorities want) but she makes him see the reality of that place and them he really becomes Zorro

[@BillyBusiness]

That’s a great addition

[@freemechanism6674]

I think a cool pick for Zorro would've been Three from Umbrella Academy

[@caerrie]

i am slightly disappointed you guys got away from Diego Luna so quickly, because I think he would have been a fantastic addition to the bad guys, possibly even as the dad. He's actually in his early forties now (Bernal is only one year older) and if you've seen him in Narcos Mexico, he does a FANTASTIC cold-blooded crime lord and you can easily age him up a couple of years. Anywho, fantastic episode, this was a really fun choice and I would LOVE to see this movie!

[@jonzampas7252]

Nobody from the Sheen/Esteves family for the older Spanish elites? I’m surprised Peters didn’t require Charlie Sheen to be in the movie.

[@jordantownsend8056]

Y’all left out Jimmy Smits :( I think he would have made a great villain or a good mentor role.

[@ChuckD008]

I'd watch the hell outta this (I also low-key love Wild Wild West, cuz I was a kid when it came out). Also, Pedro Pascal did the he-comes-off-as-good-but-is-actually-bad character in the second Kingsman and he did it well

[@Spyweb88]

I haven't seen the '90s film since it came out and I was a kid, but I remember seeing it twice; once in theaters and another at a drive-in as part of a double-feature with "Godzilla" (when I was young enough to enjoy that film!). I've got a big hankering to re-watch it now, and I totally missed it had a sequel in 2005, though its RT score makes me think maybe I should leave it unwatched.

[@JackClockerinos]

There's a lot of Zorro movies you should check out. I got a whole playlist if you'd ever want one

[@SeattleKO]

Zorro vs The Cartel

[@malkav81]

I like making him even more Batman, but at the same time something totally different and fresh.

[@patrickjoslyn1789]

We need a zorro extended universe now?

[@i.m.solomon2280]

I want to see this one lol

[@MrDarthT]

1:14:56 "It's weird to have The Joker essentially being a side character, while Batman's REALLY fighting, you know, Dr. Strange over HERE." That's literally the plot of "Arkham City".

[@BillyBusiness]

And it’s weird

[@R2-DPOO]

Zorro is the goat

[@SeanGHOB]

I was surprised that Billy didn't mention that the Wayne family had just been to see The Mask of Zorro in the cinema on the night Thomas and Marthaaaaaaaa were murdered.

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

Doña de la Vega is definitely named Marta.

[@sox5280]

I'm really hoping you guys do avatar the last Airbender soon. you can only go up from that dumpster trash movie. I would love to see what you guys do with it.

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Hot take: Zorro is basically 19th century Daredevil.

[@REBOOTITSHOW]

Hotter Take: Daredevil is a pale 1960s imitation of Zorro! 😯

[@humanbeing8038]

I think plenty of 20 year olds watched Zorro as kids

[@SageForsaken]

Zorro in star wars might actually work

[@williamcastonzo138]

Especially in the Solo/Mando corner of the universe where they are leaning ALL the way into the western tropes.

[@C2543]

First of all, I Love the crew and the show. But watching this episode, I have to say this: Don't say "LatinX" the word "Latin" is neutral. You add the "a" or "o" to refer to female or male. But "Latin" is good enough. "LatinX" is an invention from someone that obviously doesn't know anything about Latin American culture, or the Spanish language.

[@metaloverload7374]

Reboot the phantom!!

[@thec00lru23]

Haha I like when Bill says Negroes

[@MoramothHauntz]

Or Tornado

[@Fillmore.Pockets]

Yoooo! I thought it was just me hahaha!

[@thec00lru23]

@@Fillmore.Pockets 😂😂

[@williamcastonzo138]

I have no idea how to take this comment. So I'll just keep on saying it and privately feeling a lil weird about it every time!

[@Fillmore.Pockets]

@@williamcastonzo138 Yes, keep saying it! That's Ed's awesome highly unapologetic Black name, you'd be doing him a disservice if you stop. Are you familiar with hip hop mixtapes that have the Cassey Kasem-ish DJ voice that says stuff like "Damn son....where did you find this?"? Well you have a radio voice and its funny to hear the radio guy say negro. Also, I think its ultra cool that you'd feel weird about saying it, especially because I'd be willing to bet a kings fortune that Ed already discussed it with you. Seriously, I respect that. Keep saying it!

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

I suggest you guys to John Carter i’m working on an adaptation of the book for a screenplay I would truly love it if you guys can do something like that and when you guys do it just plug my channel And leave a link