WTFilms is developing They Call Him Zorro, a horror-action reinterpretation of the iconic masked vigilante, with genre filmmaker Joe Begos attached to write, direct and produce through his Channel 83 banner.
The project draws inspiration from Johnston McCulley’s 1919 novel The Curse of Capistrano, which introduced the Zorro character, while reimagining the story through a darker and more violent contemporary lens.
“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,” said WTFilms co-head and producer Gregory Chambet.
“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.”
Per the official 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 previously collaborated with WTFilms on his 2013 debut feature Almost Human, which premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival before selling to IFC Films. The companies also worked together on Jimmy & Stiggs, released through Eli Roth’s genre label The Horror Section.
“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,” said Begos.
The filmmaker plans to shoot the feature on 35mm, continuing his preference for practical filmmaking aesthetics.
“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,” he said.
WTFilms is currently financing the project and casting for the lead role.
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