Quick News: Cortés, Poet, Pale, Frozen, Take

By
Garth Franklin
-
Netflix

Cortés
Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas (“The Crow,” “Dark City”) will replace French filmmaker Paul Mignot on the historical epic “Cortés” starring Antonio Banderas as Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Nicholas Kazan penned the script and filming began in Paris and Spain several weeks ago.

Set in 1519, the historical epic follows Cortés as he takes command of an expedition in Cuba. Hungry for glory, he sails without permission toward the Yucatán and reaches what is now Mexico. There, he meets Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman whose language skills become crucial to his campaign. [Source: Deadline]

Chilean Poet
Following news of the death of “A Fantastic Woman” and “The Wonder” filmmaker Sebastián Lelio earlier this week at the age of 52, questions have been raised as to the fate of his final film – an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s acclaimed 2020 novel “Chilean Poet”.

There was reportedly just one week of shooting left when Lelio passed, filming has been taking place in Santiago. The story follows a struggling young poet who becomes an unlikely stepfather to his old girlfriend’s son, Vicente, who years later decides to become a poet himself. [Source: Deadline]

Pale Horse
Former “Yellowstone” star Cole Hauser is attached to the action thriller feature “Pale Horse” at Constantin Film and based on the book by Scott Payne and Michelle Shephard.

The story is a retelling of Payne’s FBI work battling Neo-Nazis and outlaw motorcycle gangs, infiltrating some of the country’s most violent subcultures. Hauser, Kulzer and Randall Batinkoff produce. [Source: Deadline]

The Real Frozen
National Geographic and Walt Disney Animation Studios are teaming on the Disney+ natural history series “The Real Frozen” with franchise stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Goff and Josh Gad returning to reprise their roles.

Set against breathtaking Scandinavian icy landscapes, it follows real-life animals navigating the harshest winters, revealing extraordinary behaviors, survival strategies and bonds. The actors reprise their roles, albeit as narrators, to guide viewers through each story. [Source: Disney]

The Take
First photos are out from “The Take” (previously known as “Here Comes The Flood”), a Netflix crime thriller starring Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

The story sees a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief get caught in a deadly game of cons and double crosses. Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles (“City of God,” “The Two Popes”) directs from an original script penned by veteran screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (“Sherlock Holmes”).