AceShowbiz - Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed 2012 Western crime thriller, is officially moving forward with a sequel film nearly 14 years after its original release. The new project is based on the popular Django/Zorro crossover comic series co-written by Tarantino himself and Matt Wagner, which continues the story of the freed slave turned bounty hunter, Django, originally portrayed by Jamie Foxx.

Following the success of iconic Tarantino films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill (2003-2004), and Inglourious Basterds (2009), Tarantino ventured into the Western genre with two standout films: Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight (2015). While Tarantino is not directing the new sequel, he has given his blessing for the project to proceed under Sony Pictures.

The upcoming film adapts the storyline from the 2014 Dynamite Entertainment comic book series, which serves as a spiritual sequel to Django Unchained. The comics explore Django’s continued adventures in the Antebellum South and Old West, where he joins forces with Don Diego de la Vega, the original Zorro character famously portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in 1998’s The Mask of Zorro. The story further passes the Zorro mantle to Alejandro Murrieta, played by Antonio Banderas in that film.

Brian Helgeland, an Oscar-winning screenwriter known for L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, is adapting the comic into a screenplay. Helgeland, who also directed films like the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 (2013) and the Kray twins gangster film Legend (2015), is currently working on a fresh script that builds on the original narrative. Although there were initial talks of this adaptation years ago, the project stalled during the pandemic but has now regained momentum with rights cleared and Helgeland’s involvement confirmed.

The original Django Unchained film centers on the story of Django, a freed slave who partners with German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz, played by Christoph Waltz, to rescue his wife from the ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie blends stylized violence with a revisionist take on spaghetti Westerns, explicitly referencing Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 film Django. Its release in 2012 was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, grossing $449 million worldwide, making it not only Tarantino’s highest-grossing film but also the highest-grossing Western ever made.

Django Unchained earned multiple accolades, including Tarantino’s second Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay after Pulp Fiction, and Waltz’s second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, following his win for Inglourious Basterds. The film also received a nomination for Best Picture, cementing its place in modern Western cinema.

Currently, Django Unchained is available to stream on Paramount+ and STARZ, allowing new audiences to discover the film while fans anticipate the sequel.

While Tarantino is not directing the new Django/Zorro film, he remains active with other projects. He is working on what he has described as his tenth and final film as a director. Additionally, his first play, The Popinjay Cavalier, is set to debut on the West End early next year. Meanwhile, Brad Pitt is reprising his role as Cliff Booth from Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the upcoming Netflix production The Adventures of Cliff Booth, directed by David Fincher and written by Tarantino.

Originally, Tarantino wrote the screenplay for The Adventures of Cliff Booth with the intention of directing it himself but ultimately stepped back to allow Pitt and Fincher to helm the project. It remains unclear if Jamie Foxx will return to reprise his role as Django in the new Django/Zorro adaptation. The director’s chair for the new film is also undecided, though Helgeland has directing experience and could potentially lead the project from behind the camera.

This new film marks an exciting continuation of the Django Unchained saga, expanding the universe Tarantino created while blending the iconic Western bounty hunter with the masked vigilante legend of Zorro. Fans of both franchises have long anticipated a crossover on the big screen, and with the involvement of Oscar-winning talent like Brian Helgeland and Tarantino’s endorsement, the project promises to honor the legacy of the original film while exploring new stories in the Old West.