TV Writers Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia Hired To Reboot ‘Zorro’
By Germain Lussier/Oct. 6, 2011 3:00 pm EST
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Deadline broke the news of Sony’s deal with Federman and Scaia who have previously written on Jericho, Warehouse 13, Human Target and are currently on the new Charlie’s Angels. So they obviously know about new reboots.
While I was never a big fan of Zorro as a character, the Martin Campbell movies (1998’s The Mask of Zorro and 2005’s The Legend of Zorro) were suitably fun. It could be fun to see how a young boy gets to be so crafty, sly and quick witted.
Allende’s lively retelling of the Zorro legend reads as effortlessly as the hero himself might slice his trademark “Z” on the wall with a flash of his sword. Born Diego de la Vega in 1795 to the valiant hidalgo, Alejandro, and the beautiful Regina, the daughter of a Spanish deserter and an Indian shaman, our hero grows up in California before traveling to Spain. Raised alongside his wet nurse’s son, Bernardo, Diego becomes friends for life with his “milk brother,” despite the boys’ class differences. Though born into privilege, Diego has deep ties to California’s exploited natives—both through blood and friendship—that account for his abiding sense of justice and identification with the underdog. In Catalonia, these instincts as well as Diego’s swordsmanship intrigue Manuel Escalante, a member of the secret society La Justicia. Escalante recruits Diego into the society, which is dedicated to fighting all forms of oppression, and thus begins Diego’s construction of his dashing, secret alter ego, Zorro. With loyal Bernardo at his side, Zorro hones his fantastic skills, evolves into a noble hero and returns to California to reclaim his family’s estate in a breathtaking duel. All the while, he encounters numerous historical figures, who anchor this incredible tale in a reality that enriches and contextualizes the Zorro myth. Allende’s latest page-turner explodes with vivid characterization and high-speed storytelling.
