Antonio Banderas to Star as Hernán Cortés in AI-Heavy Film

Antonio Banderas stars as Hernán Cortés in an upcoming biographical movie about the early 16th-century Spanish conquistador. Artificial intelligence is expected to play a major role in the production of Cortés through the involvement of Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios.

Antonio Banderas takes on the role of Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés captured Tenochtitlan and led the downfall of the Aztec Empire in 1521. Antonio Banderas plays this historical figure in the high-budget production. Paul Mignot directs Cortés following his work on Victory or Death, and Nicholas Kazan writes the screenplay after previously writing Reversal of Fortune. AI film company owner Marco Weber produces the movie. According to Deadline, filming has begun in Paris with additional shooting scheduled in Spain, where both Cortés and Banderas were born.

“Set in 1519, Cortés begins in Cuba, where a restless soldier hungry for glory seizes command of an expedition to the Yucatán and sails without permission. After landing on the coast of what is now Mexico, he meets Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman and gifted linguist who becomes indispensable to his advance. As Cortés turns fragile alliances, faith, and fear into instruments of conquest, Marina watches him transform from a daring outlaw into a self-anointed messiah.” Synopsis

Audiences have noted an age difference between the actor and the historical subject. Hernán Cortés was 36 years old in 1521, while Antonio Banderas is 66 years old. Given the expected use of artificial intelligence in Cortés, the production team may find a way to de-age Banderas if need be, as discussed by fans on Reddit.

Marco Weber’s Ex Machina Studios and Utopai Studios are handling production, global sales, and film distribution. The exact extent of artificial intelligence used in Cortés remains unknown. However, Deadline reports that the movie was long considered unfilmable due to the sheer scale of the project, which suggests that the production relies heavily on the technology.

Source: Polygon