Alex Proyas Takes Over Directing AI-Enabled Historical Epic CORTÉS Starring Antonio Banderas

It’s great to see Alex Proyas getting back into the director’s chair! The filmmaker behind Dark City, The Crow, and I, Robot has signed on to direct the AI-enabled historical epic Cortés, starring Antonio Banderas as the infamous Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Proyas takes over from French filmmaker Paul Mignot, who was originally announced as director when production began in Paris and Spain a few weeks ago. No explanation has been given for the change, although the production confirmed that “Mignot remains attached to the project in another capacity.”

The film marks Proyas’ biggest directing project since 2016’s Gods of Egypt, and I’m happy to see him returning to a major production after a decade. I’ve enjoyed his movies over the years, especially Dark City and The Crow, and I’m curious to see what he brings to a historical epic like this.

Set in 1519, Cortés follows the ambitious Spanish soldier as he defies orders and launches an unauthorized expedition from Cuba to the Yucatán. After arriving on the coast of present-day Mexico, he encounters Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman whose remarkable language skills make her essential to his campaign.

As Cortés gains power through political alliances, religion, and intimidation, Marina witnesses his transformation from a rebellious soldier into a ruthless conqueror who comes to believe in his own divine importance.

The story will explore that complicated relationship, with Marina providing a perspective on the conquest and the man responsible for it.

The screenplay comes from writer Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune), with Marco Weber producing. Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios are co-financing and co-producing the project.

Proyas shared his excitement about bringing the story to the screen, saying: “Cortés is one of cinema’s great untold stories — a tale of ambition, conquest and betrayal, told through the eyes of the extraordinary woman who helped shape the course of history.

“Nicholas has written a script of remarkable scale and intimacy, exploring a man of profound contradictions — visionary and ruthless, charismatic and monstrous, capable of extraordinary courage and unspeakable cruelty. With Antonio, we have an actor who can inhabit every facet of that complexity.

“My collaboration with Marco and the Ex Machina team on Heaven has opened up exhilarating new possibilities for cinematic storytelling, allowing us to bring this extraordinary world to life on a scale and with a visual ambition that would once have been unimaginable.”

One of the more interesting aspects of the production is its use of AI-enabled filmmaking technology. Proyas has always had a strong visual style, so it'll be interesting to see how he incorporates these tools into a large-scale historical production. Hopefully, the technology serves the story and helps him deliver something visually impressive.

Proyas has remained active in filmmaking over the past several years. He produced the 2023 thriller Mercy Road, starring Luke Bracey and Toby Jones, and has been working on the Ex Machina project Heaven, which is scheduled for release in 2027. He has also been involved in post-production on the comedy musical R.U.R.

Still, it's exciting to have Proyas returning to a major directing project. His films have always had a distinctive look and atmosphere, and pairing his filmmaking style with Banderas in a story about ambition, power, and conquest sounds like a promising combination.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with Cortés, particularly how he approaches the historical setting and the film's AI-assisted visuals. Hopefully, this marks the beginning of more directing projects from Proyas.

Source: Deadline