The epic western Django Unchained is one of writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s biggest successes, and a crossover sequel was in development, but it has recently been announced that Django/Zorro has been canned. The sequel was even more ambitious than its predecessor, saw two iconic movie characters join forces, and had the potential to be an event movie unlike any other.
However, after being in development for years, the studio finally came to the conclusion that it would have been impossible to make. But what was revealed about the film makes its cancellation that much tougher of a pill to swallow, even if Sony was in the right.
It’s Based On A Comic Book
The idea for the crossover movie isn’t recent, and it actually came to fruition not long after the first movie’s release, but it was in a much different form of media. A lot of movies have been followed by a comic book series, and Django is no different, as Tarantino worked with comic book creator Matt Wagner to bring the idea to life in the panels of a graphic novel in 2014.
Wagner had written Zorro comic books in the past, so he already knew the character well, but, based on the content, Django/Zorro gave the writer more freedom than ever. The comic book is full of exciting western tropes, but they’re drenched in typical Tarantino violence.
The Movie’s Premise
The sequel was going to be way more ambitious than the 2012 original movie. That hardly seems possible, as the movie takes place in all sorts of different weather conditions, entire western towns were built, and the movie ends with an entire plantation being blown to smithereens. It isn’t surprising that Django Unchained is Tarantino’s most expensive movie, as it had a budget of $100 million.
The sequel would have unsurprisingly had the same themes and tone revolving around slavery, only on a much bigger scale. According to Geek Outpost, the movie would have followed Django as he becomes Don Diego de la Vega’s bodyguard. Vega is also Zorro, and the two would have worked together to free the local aboriginal population from slavery.
Tarantino Pitched It To Antonio Banderas
It seems like Tarantino’s iteration of Zorro wouldn’t have been his own or any kind of reboot, but it would have served as a sequel to the Antonio Banderas-led series just as much as it would have been a Django sequel. Banderas starred in two movies as Vega in the 1990s and 2000s, The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro.
Tarantino reportedly approached Banderas about potentially reprising his role as the masked vigilante, and the response was a resounding yes. The actor explained that after Tarantino pitched the idea to him on Oscar night in 2020, he was all in and thought “it would be fantastic and funny and crazy.”
A Comedian Was Hired To Co-Write The Screenplay
Tarantino has always written and directed his own movies, and there has very rarely been any input on his material from outside sources. But in an unprecedented turn of events, the beloved filmmaker found a writing partner to helm Django/Zorro.
Tarantino hired comedian Jerrod Carmichael to co-write the screenplay, which is surprising given that the comedian doesn’t have any writing credits to his name outside of stand-up specials and documentaries. However, the sequel could have been much more of a comedy than the original film, and given Carmichael’s performances in films like Mid90s and The Disaster Artist, he’d have a good grasp on comedy-drama.
Jamie Foxx Wanted To Return
Django is the most rewatchable Tarantino movie, and that’s partly thanks to Jamie Foxx’s effortless coolness and charisma. And to see that again is one of many reasons why a Django sequel would have been great. It turns out that Banderas wasn’t the only actor willing to reprise an iconic role, as Jamie Foxx seemingly wanted the project to get off the ground just as much as anybody else.
Foxx expressed interest in returning to the wild west, and it’s hardly surprising that he’d jump at the chance of reprising Django. The film is Foxx’s highest-grossing movie in a leading role, and it’s clear from the movie that he had so much fun playing the vengeful bounty hunter with flare.
It Would Have Cost $500 Million To Make
Tarantino has loads of unrealized projects, but the fact that Django/Zorro will never see the light of day is the most disappointing. However, the reason why the studio dropped it is understandable, to say the least. According to GQ, the reason why the film was ultimately canned by the studio was because of how much it would have cost to produce. But it’s hard to believe that the movie would cost that much to make, and it’s impossible to imagine what huge set pieces could possibly bring the film to such a massive budget.
No film in the world has ever cost $500 million, not even any Avatar or Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. And that figure doesn’t even take into account the marketing budget either, so for the film to break even, it would have had to gross over a billion dollars at the box office at least. That’s a big gamble given that the original movie made $425 million.
It Isn’t The Only Conitunuation To Django Unchained That Tarantino Has Envisioned
So many of Tarantino’s movies lend themselves to potentially huge franchises, whether it’s the criminal underbelly in Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill, a threequel of which is still in development. But Django Unchained surprisingly has the best chance of becoming a cinematic universe of itself.
Django/Zorro wasn’t the only follow-up to the movie in development, but according to Game Rant, Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight was originally a Django sequel too. The filmmaker began writing the screenplay under the name Django in White Hell, and it was identical to the final cut of the movie, only Major Warren replaced the iconic gunslinger. In an alternated timeline, audiences would have been treated to two Django sequels by now.
