Gael Garcia Bernal cast as Zorro in upcoming reboot 'Z'

LOS ANGELES, May 11 (UPI) -- Gael Garcia Bernal has been cast as iconic vigilante swordsman Zorro, for an upcoming reboot entitled Z.

According to Deadline, the project set to be directed by Jonas Cuaron, the son of famed Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, will place the swashbuckling hero in a futuristic setting.

"Z" is a reimagining of the classic legend and will "take audiences to a new and visually exciting world," a press release reads.

A co-production between Lantica Pictures and Sobini Films, Cuaron is set to begin production on Z later this year in the Dominican Republic.

"I have always loved Gael for this role. Zorro is a hero who is charming, witty, and clever. Gael possesses all those characteristics and he's able to deliver them with a modern spin to introduce the Zorro character to a new audience," said Sobini Films executive director Mark Amin.

Bernal is coming off his recent Golden Globe win for his role in the Amazon exclusive comedy, Mozart in the Jungle and was last seen in the border thriller Desierto, which was also directed by Cuaron.

Created by Johnston McCulley in 1919, Zorro was last seen on the silver screen in 2005 in The Legend of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, which was a sequel to 1998's The Mask of Zorro.