Antonio Banderas’ Cortés Film Explores the Woman Behind a Historic Conquest
AI-assisted historical film Cortés stars Antonio Banderas and explores the role of Marina during the Spanish conquest.
Antonio Banderas is set to play Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in Cortés, a historical feature from Utopai Studios that is using AI-enabled production tools to help bring a large-scale story to the screen.
The project is directed by Paul Mignot and written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the film is set in 1519, when Cortés led an expedition into what is now Mexico. Production information from Utopai describes the project as a long-planned historical epic, with a release scheduled for 2027.
The story also focuses on Marina, an enslaved Indigenous woman and gifted linguist whose knowledge becomes essential to Cortés’ expedition. Her position places her at the centre of the encounters, negotiations and power struggles surrounding the conquest. That perspective offers the film an opportunity to examine the historical events beyond the figure of Cortés himself.
The project is notable for its use of AI-enabled production technology. Utopai says these tools are intended to help overcome the scale and cost challenges that have historically made ambitious period films difficult to produce. The company has said the technology will support the production process while filmmakers remain responsible for creative decisions.
AI-assisted filmmaking can encompass different tasks, from generating or modifying visual elements to supporting parts of a production workflow. The announcement does not mean that every element of Cortés is AI-generated, and the exact tools and their contribution should not be assumed without further technical details from the studio.
The film arrives as studios and independent producers explore whether generative tools can make elaborate settings, large crowds and historically detailed worlds more achievable. The approach also raises questions about how AI-generated or AI-assisted imagery will be reviewed for historical accuracy and how audiences will distinguish digital reconstruction from conventional production techniques.
With Banderas in the lead role and Marina’s story forming a key part of the narrative, Cortés will be watched both as a historical drama and as a test of how AI-assisted production can be used on a major feature.
