Bryan Cogman is going from Westeros to the California desert, as the former Game of Thrones screenwriter has joined Disney+'s upcoming adaptation of The Legend of Zorro as a showrunner and executive producer, according to Deadline. Wilmer Valderrama, known for his role as Fez in That 70's Show and its sequel, That 90's Show, will star as the titular hero in the upcoming show. The series will see privileged citizen Diego de la Vega coming back to his home in Pueblo de Los Angeles. He will soon discover that a culture of corruption and injustice has taken over the place he grew up in, prompting him to take on the mantle of the masked vigilante, Zorro.
Disney wants to bring the character back with a completely new voice to tell his story. Romance, humor, and action will be right at the center of the upcoming adventure, which currently has no directors attached yet. While production is coming later down the road, it is clear that Zorro could become a major player for Disney+, which already deals with courageous heroes, such as The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), and the galactic Rebellion spy, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Valderrama's Zorro is more ready to put on his cape and come to the rescue
Previous Zorro Adventures
Before this new version of the hero was an idea, Martin Campbell directed a cinematic adaptation of the story, which saw Anthony Hopkins as an elder Zorro looking to avenge the death of his wife and the kidnapping of her dauther, Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The quest for vengeance would lead him straight to Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas), a thief who also had unresolved issues with the people responsible for ruining Diego's life. De la Vega agrees to train Murrieta, giving the people of California a chance to have a hero again. The film went on to gross $250 million on a $95 million budget.
Campbell came back to direct a sequel, which was set nine years after the events of the original film. In his second adventure as the masked vigilante, Antonio Banderas must confront the Knights of Aragon, a secret organization that wanted to prevent the United States from gaining power in 1850. While Valderrama's version will stay away from the stories told in Campbell's movies, it will be exciting to see where the comedy actor can take the character.
The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro are both available to stream on Netflix.
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