That planned female-led Zorro reboot series is no longer happening, at least not at The CW. Per TVLine, it was recently revealed that several projects in the works at the network had been shelved. That includes titles like Jake Chang, a new series that, like Riverdale, would have been based on Archie Comics characters, as well as The Powerpuff Girls, a live-action remake of the animated superhero series. The Zorro show that was also in development at The CW was also announced as one of the shows that was getting the boot at the network, though it could still theoretically be picked up elsewhere.
“We’ve already given those back to the studios,” The CW's President of Entertainment, Brad Schwartz, is quoted as saying. “So they’re free to develop those and sell them anywhere.”
The Zorro series had some key names attached, as Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids) was on board alongside writer-director Rebecca Rodriguez (Snowpiercer, Doom Patrol). Last year, it was reported that the show was moving ahead at The CW after it'd been passed on by NBC. Reportedly, this new take on Zorro was planned to see a young Latin woman seeking vengeance when her father is killed, taking on the alias of Zorro upon joining a secret society. Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez were to serve as executive producers while Sean Tretta was to serve as series showrunner. No casting announcements were ever made so it's not clear who may have played the female Zorro in the series.
What's Happening With Zorro?
Perhaps Zorro is just a challenging story to bring back, as this isn't the only project to seemingly die in development hell. Quentin Tarantino was also planning a crossover with Django Unchained that would have united Django and Zorro, but the movie wound up fizzling out. Meanwhile, it had also been reported that Wilmer Valderrama was set to star in a separate Zorro reboot in development from Disney for a release on Disney+. Last year, Valderrama provided a promising update on the project.
"I'll tell you this: This will be a Zorro for this generation, and it'll be incredibly thoughtful with its origin story, and it'll be grounded in authenticity," Valderrama said of this show on The Drew Barrymore Show. "It is a lot on my plate, but I'm up for the challenge. You come to a point in her life where... we talk about this Mount Everest, right? And I think Zorro is one of those.”
Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis had previously said of the reboot, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense and humor of the original, iconic Zorro. Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”
That all sounds great, but given how Disney+ has also been on a recent tear of removing shows and cutting costs in other ways, the Zorro reboot could end up being in danger as well. Time will tell.