Banderas Goes For Gold in 'Conquistador'

Zap2It.com | April 5, 2006

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Antonio Banderas, 'Take the Lead'
Antonio Banderas, 'Take the Lead'
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Spanish actor will play Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes in new historical epic

Antonio Banderas will take the lead in "Conquistador," an historical epic about the life of explorer Hernan Cortes.

Andrucha Waddington is directing the project, which was written by Nicholas Kazan ("Reversal of Fortune").

Cortes, you might recall, sailed from Cuba to Mexico in 1519. He was greeted by the natives as a Sun God. He repaid their worship and respect by making their leader, Montezuma, a prisoner (eventually contributing to his death) and fast-tracking the decline and fall of the Aztec empire. To this day, American tourists in Mexico still occasionally must face the wrath of Montezuma's Revenge.

It's unlikely that "Conquistador" -- set to begin filming in September in Spain, Mexico and other South American locales according to both industry trade papers -- will go into the subsequent intestinal instability caused by Cortes.

Banderas, whose "The Legend of Zorro" premiered last fall, will next be seen in "Take the Lead," a dancing drama that opens on Friday (April 7). He's currently finishing post-production on his second directing effort "El Camino De Los Ingleses."
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