Tarantino’s Wild Idea: Django Unchained 2 to Crossover with Zorro!

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In numerous aspects, “Django Unchained” stands as Quentin Tarantino‘s most financially and critically successful film. Despite the clamor from fans for a sequel, it seems unlikely to be the one that Tarantino had envisioned. Debuting in 2012, “Django Unchained” marked Tarantino’s highest-grossing release and garnered widespread acclaim, amassing five Academy Award nominations. Given that the director is not typically associated with sequels, a continuation of “Django Unchained” appears to be a logical choice.

Generally speaking, fans who are eager for more in the story might not anticipate it veering off into an entirely new direction. Yet, that seems to be Quentin Tarantino’s plan for a possible sequel. His idea is to bring back characters from this film, such as the main character Django (Jamie Foxx), and merge them with those from one of Antonio Banderas’ renowned projects. Despite appearing unexpected or coming from left field, it’s still a concept that Tarantino could execute flawlessly.

Django Was Meant To Team With Zorro In A Sequel

The Two Heroes Would Be Partners Out West

It’s intriguing to note that Quentin Tarantino initially envisioned teaming the character Django with Alejandro Murrieta, the protagonist of the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro played by Banderas. Their paths would cross in this scenario as Django, living peacefully with his family, would encounter a fresh danger, and Alejandro, who was working to liberate indigenous people from slavery, would be dealing with the same threat (according to Variety).

The chronology of the movies coincides, as The Mask of Zorro is set in 1850 and Django Unchained takes place in 1858. Although the films differ significantly in their overall mood, the characters work well together as they are both vigilantes who confront powerful oppressors to aid those in distress. It’s entirely plausible that these heroes would emerge from retirement during critical moments.

The concept eventually materialized into a reality, as a comic book series based on the adaptation was produced in 2013. Tarantino and Matt Wagner teamed up to write this crossover story, following the joint escapades of Django and Alejandro. The seven-issue series received positive feedback, leading many to believe that a live-action film version might soon become a possibility.

Why The Django/Zorro Movie Never Happened

The Budget Would’ve Been Too High

It’s common knowledge that Quentin Tarantino occasionally discusses out-there movie concepts, but his Django/Zorro fusion idea took it a step further. In an interview with comedian Jerrod Carmichael, it was revealed that they were working on the script for this project, and Carmichael attested to the screenplay being exceptional. Yet, they found out that to make their vision come true, the estimated budget would have been approximately $500 million.

This crossover movie would rank among the costliest films ever produced, a realm typically occupied by big franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the box office successes of Foxx, Banderas, and Tarantino, such high budgets are usually earmarked for established franchises. To be considered successful, the movie would need to earn over $1 billion, a feat neither Django Unchained nor The Mask of Zorro managed to achieve jointly. Unfortunately, given these financial constraints, it’s unlikely that the film will ever get made. However, fans can still enjoy their collaboration through the seven comic book issues.

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2025-05-24 02:48