In creating the latest incarnation of Zorro, producer Marc Dujardin found inspiration in the classic 1950s series starring Guy Williams, the absurd premise of superhero tales, and the fond childhood dreams he shared with his brother Jean, who portrays the puritanical mayor of New York City in early 1919.D– Los Angeles in the 20th century, Don Diego de la Vega, and his convincing and uncaring alter ego.
Zorro took La Havre by storm on Thursday, closing the Unifrance Rendez-Vous market with a long-awaited premiere, followed by a California-inspired dance floor party filled with delicious Norman-style Spanish and Mexican cuisine.
Produced by Marc Dujardin's Le Collectif 64 for France Télévisions and Paramount+, Zorro is a comedic and straightforward look at the legendary Californian fighter.
The series follows Don Diego, who becomes mayor of Los Angeles in hopes of improving his beloved city. However, faced with growing corruption that cannot be stopped, he decides to return to donning the guise of the Dark Avenger after laying down his sword and cape years ago. However, balancing his dual identity as Zorro and mayor of the city puts a strain on his marriage to Gabriella, who is unaware of his secret.
While Mark was convinced his brother was perfect for the role, Jan wasn't on board from the start.
French TVs
“Everyone in France knew that the real actor who would play Zorro was Jean, but the most important thing was to find a good angle to revisit, to renew Zorro, because we couldn’t do a parody – a parody lasts 15 minutes, then it’s over.”
Mark remembers Jan saying, 'Do what you want and in the end, if it's good, I'll do it.'
“Then I read a lot of things about superheroes. I read an article, it was an English article, and it made me laugh a lot. The article was talking about how expensive it is to be a superhero because of all the destruction it causes. It's a real problem.”
Mark came to the conclusion that Zorro offered “simple answers to very complex issues. That's stupid – it's populist!”
In contrast, Diego, the mayor of Los Angeles, is a technocrat, “a bit like Macron,” explains Mark. While he tries to improve the living conditions of his citizens, “he never finds his way into people’s hearts. Zorro, on the other hand, knows how to talk to people but without consequences. What I also like is his schizophrenia.” Diego finds himself under the control of the creature Zorro, whom he cannot control.
Mark discussed his treatment and ideas with writers Benjamin Charbet and Noé Debré. “I really wanted them to write this. They're so amazing. They were definitely my first choice.”
“They found something interesting in it, in the vaudeville elements. They wrote it and it was completely crazy but very serious and very precise. It all seems very serious.”
Mark emphasizes that this subtle comedy is what sets the show apart from previous versions of Zorro. “It's a comedy. Diego's wife loves Zorro and doesn't know Diego is Zorro. That's a big deal. And Diego hates Zorro. He hates the situation. It's a complete schizophrenia.”
Explaining why his brother is perfect for the role, Marc says: “I’ll repeat Jean’s words: because it concludes a part of his childhood. He always dreamed of playing Zorro but it never happened. He dreamed of it at 20, at 30, at 40, but at 50 – no, well, he died. But then it finally came.”
Mark expresses his thoughts on why Zorro has remained popular over the past century, asserting that “its roots are deeply rooted in childhood consciousness, very deeply rooted.”
He points out that Emily Noblet, who directed “Zorro” alongside Jean-Baptiste Saurel, felt very close to the character because she also watched the classic series on TV with her grandfather.
“It reminds us of our childhood. Zorro was the first superhero, written in 1919. [by Johnston McCulley]”.”
Indeed, Zorro's popularity is clearly evident in the many incarnations that have graced the big and small screens for more than a century. The character has been portrayed by stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power, Guy Williams, Frank Langella, Alain Delon, George Hamilton, Duncan Regehr, and in the same film, Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas.
Despite the cinematic history of many of these versions, the Disney TV series produced in the 1950s starring Williams and shown in France in the 1970s and 1980s was the most special to Dujardin.
“We got the idea for Zorro straight from TV,” says Mark. “He was the real Zorro for us. He’s always smiling, he’s always happy. He’s a very bright Zorro – he’s dark because he comes out at night, but he’s bright – everything about him is fun. The real Zorro is Guy Williams!”
Amazon Prime Video and MediaOne Rights recently released another remake from Spain’s Sequoia Studios, starring Miguel Bernardo as a young Zorro. For France Télévisions and France TV Distribution, that’s no problem.
“It’s completely different,” says Julia Schulte, senior vice president of international sales at France TV Distribution. “For us, Zorro is the most perfect and joyful TV series you can imagine. It’s mainstream family entertainment with a comedic side.”
“We have Paramount as a partner, but it will also work extensively on linear TV because it's the only brand that a linear TV station would want to feature as an event,” she adds.
Mark points out that Zorro was shot entirely in Spain, with the interior scenes shot in Toledo and the exteriors in Almeria, where the crew built a Western city not far from where Sergio Leone filmed the Dollars trilogy with Clint Eastwood in the 1960s.
