The Cortés movie is already filming, but its biggest creative change has arrived after cameras started rolling. Alex Proyas, the filmmaker behind I, Robot and Dark City, has taken over the historical epic starring Antonio Banderas as Hernán Cortés. His arrival adds a new dimension to a production that is also attracting attention for its use of AI technology.
Yet the most intriguing element may be the story itself. Rather than presenting the Spanish conquistador’s journey solely through his own ambitions, the film places Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman whose linguistic abilities become crucial to his campaign, at the heart of its dramatic perspective. That choice could make this more than a conventional account of conquest.
The Cortés movie changes directors while production is already underway
Filming began several weeks ago in Paris and Spain, initially with French filmmaker Paul Mignot announced as director. However, Proyas has now assumed directing responsibilities. According to Deadline’s November 9 exclusive, Mignot remains involved in another capacity, although the production has not explained why he stepped away from directing.
Mignot previously directed the historical feature Vaincre ou Mourir and worked on advertising campaigns for automotive and fashion brands. His departure from the director’s chair therefore represents a notable change, particularly because filming had already begun. Nevertheless, there is no confirmed indication that the transition has affected the shooting schedule.
For Proyas, the appointment marks his highest-profile feature film since Gods of Egypt, the big-budget Lionsgate action production released a decade ago. His reputation for visually distinctive filmmaking makes the change especially interesting, although the finished movie’s aesthetic remains to be seen.
The Cortés movie tells its conquest story through Marina’s perspective
Set in 1519, the narrative begins in Cuba, where Hernán Cortés is a restless soldier determined to achieve glory. He takes command of an expedition bound for the Yucatán and sails without authorization, setting events in motion that will carry him toward the coast of what is now Mexico.
After arriving, Cortés encounters Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman with exceptional linguistic abilities. She becomes indispensable to his advance. As his influence grows, he uses unstable alliances, religious conviction and fear to pursue conquest. Meanwhile, Marina witnesses his transformation from a daring outlaw into a self-anointed messiah.
This perspective introduces a compelling dramatic contrast. Cortés may drive the expedition, but Marina provides another lens through which audiences can understand his rise. Her position also creates room to examine the human consequences of his ambitions rather than treating military expansion as the story’s only measure of success.
Proyas has described the material as an opportunity to explore ambition, betrayal and conquest through the experience of a woman who helped shape history. He also emphasized the contradictions within Cortés, whose charisma and determination coexist with brutality. According to the director, Nicholas Kazan’s screenplay combines an expansive historical setting with intimate character drama, while Banderas has the range to portray those conflicting qualities.
Alex Proyas brings a distinctive filmmaking background to the historical epic
Proyas has spent much of his career exploring characters caught inside unsettling worlds, where personal choices collide with forces larger than themselves. His involvement does not establish what Cortés will look like, but his previous work provides a useful reference point for understanding why this appointment stands out.
Some of his most recognizable projects include:
- The Crow: The dark fantasy action film that became one of his signature directing credits.
- Dark City: A science-fiction mystery known for its atmospheric setting and questions about identity and control.
- I, Robot: A futuristic science-fiction thriller examining humanity’s relationship with intelligent machines.
- Knowing: A mystery-driven science-fiction thriller involving predictions and catastrophic events.
- Gods of Egypt: His large-scale fantasy action production for Lionsgate, released in 2016.
- Mercy Road: A 2023 thriller starring Luke Bracey and Toby Jones, which Proyas produced.
- Heaven: An Ex Machina production currently underway, with release planned for 2027.
- R.U.R.: A comedy musical that has been in post-production in recent years.
The Cortés movie leaves its use of AI largely unexplained
There is another connection worth noting. Proyas is already collaborating with Marco Weber and Ex Machina Studios on Heaven. He has indicated that this partnership has opened new creative possibilities for bringing ambitious worlds to the screen, particularly in terms of visual scope.
However, the production’s description of Cortés as an AI-enabled historical epic leaves an important question unanswered. The companies have not specified exactly how artificial intelligence is being used. Consequently, it would be premature to claim that particular scenes, performances or visual effects are being generated with AI.
What is clear is that the combination of a historical setting, an established science-fiction director and an AI-enabled production approach gives this project an unusual identity. Its ultimate success will depend on whether those elements serve the characters and their story.
The production is heading into the American Film Market with international sales plans
Proyas’ arrival also comes at a commercially significant moment. K5 International, operating under the Ex Machina sales label, is preparing to introduce the film to buyers at the American Film Market (AFM). The company is handling sales across Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Utopai Studios controls distribution rights in the remaining territories, including North America and Asia. That division establishes which companies oversee different markets, but it does not mean distribution agreements have already been completed.
These are the confirmed production details so far
Here are the confirmed production details for Cortés:
- Movie: Cortés, an AI-enabled historical epic set in 1519.
- Director: Alex Proyas, replacing previously announced director Paul Mignot.
- Former director: Paul Mignot remains attached in another capacity, which has not been specified.
- Leading actor: Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas as Hernán Cortés.
- Screenwriter: Oscar nominee Nicholas Kazan, known for Reversal of Fortune.
- Producer: Marco Weber.
- Production companies: Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios, which are co-financing and co-producing the film.
- Filming locations: Paris and Spain.
- Production status: Filming began several weeks before Proyas’ appointment was reported.
- International sales: K5 International, under the Ex Machina sales label, is targeting Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand at AFM.
- Other distribution territories: Utopai Studios controls rights elsewhere, including North America and Asia.
- Release date: Not announced.
Other AFM projects show the range of this year’s market
Cortés is entering a film market that accommodates productions with very different commercial ambitions. For example, the crime comedy Miami PI starring Adam Devine and Chloe Fineman is also being presented to potential buyers. Its smaller-scale premise offers a contrast to the historical scope of Proyas’ project.
At the other end of the spectrum, A24’s ambitious Elden Ring movie adaptation illustrates how major fantasy productions are also competing for international attention at AFM. These projects are unrelated, but their presence at the same market highlights the range of stories and budgets being offered to distributors.
For now, the Cortés movie has several compelling ingredients: Antonio Banderas in a demanding historical role, a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan, Marina’s perspective on the conquest and Alex Proyas taking charge during production. The biggest unanswered questions concern how the director will shape that material and what the film’s AI-enabled approach will actually involve. Until further details emerge, those creative decisions are more interesting than any speculation about a release date.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
