Antonio Banderas to star as Hernán Cortés in AI-assisted historical epic
The Oscar-nominated actor joins Utopai and Ex Machina Studios for a 1519-set feature currently in production in Paris.
Antonio Banderas is set to play Hernán Cortés in Cortés, a historical feature film directed by Paul Mignot and written by Nicholas Kazan, according to Variety. The film is a co-production between Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios, which specializes in integrating artificial intelligence into feature and episodic filmmaking. Shooting has begun in Paris, with the company planning additional location work in Spain.
Set in 1519, the film centers on Cortés as an ambitious soldier who commandeers an expedition to the Yucatán without authorization from Cuba. Upon reaching the Mexican coast, he encounters Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman whose linguistic abilities become essential to his military operations. The narrative tracks his evolution from rogue commander into a figure presenting himself as divinely ordained, observing his transformation through Marina’s perspective.
Production and Distribution
Ex Machina has rights to most European territories, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. Marco Weber, who serves as CEO and co-founder of Ex Machina, is producing. When Utopai rebranded as an entertainment studio the previous year, Cortés was among its initial slate of projects, though the directorial assignment shifted from production designer Kirk Petruccelli to Mignot.
The Creative Team
Mignot, a French director, previously made the historical drama Vaincre ou mourir and has directed advertising campaigns for brands including Louis Vuitton, Porsche and BMW. Kazan earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his screenplay adaptation of Reversal of Fortune; his other screenwriting credits span Matilda, Patty Hearst, Frances and Bicentennial Man.
Cecilia Shen, Utopai’s co-founder and CEO, framed the casting as central to the studio’s mission. “Nicholas has written an extraordinary screenplay, Paul has a clear cinematic point of view and Antonio brings the humanity needed at the center of it,” she said, according to Variety. Weber echoed the sentiment: “Antonio gives us a Cortés who can be commanding, complicated and deeply human.”
Banderas and AI in Hollywood
Banderas’ participation marks another high-profile actor endorsing an AI-enabled production company. The actor recently appeared in A24’s Tony, playing José Vatel, Anthony Bourdain’s mentor.
This article was compiled by the Glamorade editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
