Joe Begos has directed Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye, Bliss, VFW, Christmas Bloody Christmas, and the recently released Jimmy and Stiggs (which JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols described as “an absolutely bonkers splatterfest,” and now Deadline reports that Begos is set to put a violent, horror-inspired modern twist on the iconic hero Zorro with They Call Him Zorro!
The film is coming our way from WTFilms, and they say it will “draw on the original writings of Johnston McCulley, who first introduced Zorro in his 1919 novel The Curse of Capistrano, but through a horror lens.“
Here’s the synopsis: When Diego Vega is framed by a group of dirty city officials for a crime he didn’t commit, he escapes from prison and starts a relentless no-holds barred vengeance on corruption and crime in present day Los Angeles. The media quickly finds a name for the masked vigilante riding a black El Camino armed with chains, machetes, electric saws, and a sawed-off shotgun: Zorro.
Begos will be directing from his own script and will also be producing through Channel 83.
WTFilms co-head and producer Gregory Chambet provided the following statement: “This is not your parents’ Zorro. In our iteration, the masked folk hero has more to do with dark and violent characters such as The Punisher or The Crow. What if instead of being a coward by day, sword-yielding funny scoundrel by night, Diego Vega came back for vengeance in the form of a scary, brutal vigilante?“
Begos added, “All of my favorite action movies, from T2 to Heat, were shot on location in Los Angeles, and it’s always been a dream of mine to inhabit the same cultural playground to stage some of the most high octane and explosive set pieces imaginable, and this project is the perfect opportunity to showcase the beauty of the city, the beauty of its culture, and pull off some old school practical action filmmaking bathed in the crisp golden hour glow of Hollywood. We want to bring back the feel and visual texture of action references such as To Live and Die in L.A., RoboCop, or Hard Boiled.“
While Begos shot all of his previous films on 16mm, he’ll be shooting this one on 35mm.
WTFilms is in the process of financing and casting. Chambet said, “There is a lack of roles for talented Hispanic actors. Zorro is a Mexican character and we want to create a badass icon that makes the Latino community excited and proud. We will have done our job right if people start dressing up as this new version of Zorro for Halloween.“
What do you think of the idea of Zorro getting a badass, violent modern update? Share your thoughts on Joe Begos’ They Call Him Zorro by leaving a comment below.