Antonio Banderas to Star as Hernán Cortés in New Historical Epic Film

Academy Award-nominated actor Antonio Banderas will star as Hernán Cortés in the upcoming historical epic feature film titled Cortés, Finanznachrichten reported on October 12, 2026. French filmmaker Paul Mignot is directing the project from a screenplay written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan.

Antonio Banderas Leads Cast as Hernán Cortés

Production is currently underway in Paris, with additional shooting scheduled in Spain. Banderas plays the title role of Cortés, a restless soldier who seizes command of an expedition to the Yucatán in 1519 and sails without permission. Nicholas Kazan’s screenplay, which has endured for more than 35 years, follows the soldier as he lands on the coast of Mexico and encounters Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman and gifted linguist who becomes indispensable to his advance.

Marina watches Cortés transform from a daring outlaw into a self-anointed messiah as he turns fragile alliances, faith, and fear into instruments of conquest. Banderas brings extensive historical and dramatic experience to the role, having earned an Academy Award nomination and a Best Actor win at the Cannes Film Festival for Pain and Glory. His career also includes Primetime Emmy Award nominations for portraying Pablo Picasso in Genius: Picasso and Pancho Villa in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.

Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios Share Production and Financing

Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios are co-producing and co-financing the feature film. Marco Weber, CEO and co-founder of Ex Machina Studios, is producing the project alongside the studio partners. A historical epic works best if you believe the people at the center of it, Weber said, noting that Banderas delivers a commanding, complicated, and deeply human portrayal under Mignot’s direction.

Utopai Studios CEO and co-founder Cecilia Shen emphasized the creative alignment behind the production. Nicholas has written an extraordinary screenplay, Paul has a clear cinematic point of view and Antonio brings the humanity needed at the center of it, Shen stated. The two studios split global distribution duties. Utopai Studios leads sales in the United States, Canada, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while Ex Machina Studios manages Europe, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Next-Generation Production Technologies Power the Historical Epic

The production combines traditional filmmaking methods with next-generation production technologies. Utopai Studios is utilizing its proprietary cinematic storytelling engine, known as PAI, which is designed to maintain consistency and control across characters, worlds, and sequences in long-form productions. Ex Machina Studios, founded in January 2026 by Marco Weber, Martin Weisz, and Tom Ryan, contributes an artist-first workflow integrating artificial intelligence in collaboration with entertainment unions including SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, and the WGA.

Director Paul Mignot brings a visual background spanning narrative films like Vaincre ou Mourir and high-profile global commercial campaigns for brands such as BMW, Porsche, and Louis Vuitton. Additional casting and production details for Cortés will be announced at a later date.