Antonio Banderas Set to Play Hernán Cortés in AI-Heavy Movie

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@ 13/10/2026

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Published Oct 13, 2026, 9:40 AM EDT

Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games.

Banderas' upcoming movie, Cortés, is expected to have heavy AI elements

Antonio Banderas has been unveiled as the star of an upcoming movie about Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador from the early 16th century. Artificial intelligence is expected to be heavily featured in Cortés due to the involvement of Utopai Studios and Ex Machina Studios.

Antonio Banderas takes on the role of Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés was a conquistador who captured Tenochtitlan and led to the downfall of the Aztec Empire in 1521. Antonio Banderas is playing this historical figure in an upcoming big budget production. Paul Mignot (Victory or Death) is directing Cortés, with Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune) writing the screenplay. AI film company owner Marco Weber is producing the movie. According to Deadline, filming has begun in Paris, and more will take place in Spain, where both Cortés and Banderas were born.

"Set in 1519, Cortés begins in Cuba, where a restless soldier hungry for glory seizes command of an expedition to the Yucatán and sails without permission. After landing on the coast of what is now Mexico, he meets Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman and gifted linguist who becomes indispensable to his advance. As Cortés turns fragile alliances, faith, and fear into instruments of conquest, Marina watches him transform from a daring outlaw into a self-anointed messiah." Synopsis

While fans are excited to see a Spanish actor play a Spanish conquistador, there are some concerns about the age difference. In 1521, Hernán Cortés was 36 years old. Antonio Banderas is currently 66 years old. Of course, times have changed, and Banderas likely looks better for his age than Cortés would have five centuries ago. Given the expected use of AI in Cortés, I'm sure they'll find a way to de-age Banderas if need be.

Marco Weber's Ex Machina Studios and Utopai Studios, two AI film companies, will be involved with its production and in charge of sales and film distribution on a global scale. However, it remains unknown just how much AI will go into the making of Cortés, but according to Deadline, the movie was long considered unfilmable due to the scale of the project, meaning that fans can expect significant use of the technology.