The Zorro Chronicles

 

Zorro the Chronicles – English title

Les Chroniques de Zorro – French title

Zorro - Aufbruch einer Legende -German title

Τα Χρονικά του Zορό – Greek title

Zorro – Norwegian title

Zorro - legenden föds – Swedish title

 

A 2015 Canadian, Italian, French animated TV series [Blue Spirit Animation, Cyber

     Group Studios, France 3 (Paris), RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Rai Fiction (Rome)

Producers: Dominique Bourse, Olivier Lelardoux, Héléne Maret

Director: Olivier Lelardoux

Story: Johnston McCulley

Teleplay: Eric Rondeaux, Olivier Bardy, Annabelle Perrichon, Pierre Sissmann

Animation: Nicolas Davoust, Yann Martinat [color]

Music: Nicolas d'Haeveloose, Jean-Etienne Loose, Eric Renwart, Guy Waku

     Song: “Main Theme” sung by Antoine Lelandais

Running time: 23 minutes x

 

Story: The masked fox returns with his witty brother Bernardo and best friend Ines. With his remarkable display of swordsmanship trying to defeat the evil general and his goons.

 

Cast:

Don Diego, Ines de la Vega, Monasterio, Corporal Ignacio Gonzales, Sergeant Demeterio Garcia, Bernardo, Carmen

[Episode list 1) The Return, 2) The Mine, 3) The Trap, 4) Two Rebels Hearts, 5) The Maestro, 6) The Cannons of Monterey, 7) The Ransome, 8) The True Face of Zorro, 9) Zorro and His Double, 10) Zorro the Thief, 11) The Cattle Drive, 12) A Bell for Los Angeles, 13) The Tornado, 14) The Spirit of the Sea, 15) Grains of Wrath, 16) The Plot, 17) Drought, 18) The Desirable Heiress, 19) Foolproof Plan, 20) The Treasure Map, 21) Like Wolves, 22) The Leap, 23) Banished, 24) The Imposter, 25) Carte blanche, 26) Force

Zorro: The Chronicles was a 2015 CGI-animated series based on the popular Zorro franchise, created by French company Cyber Group Studios and produced in partnership with John Gertz’s Zorro Production International and Blue Spirit Studios for France Télévisions and Italy’s RAI.

The series' synopsis follows the familiar plot of Don Diego de la Vega (here a teenager instead of an adult like in most other adaptations and voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) returning home to 19th-century Los Angeles, California after having spent several years at school in Spain. Thanks to letters from home, he is forewarned that the army captain Monasterio has established a tyrannical rule over Los Angeles. In order to combat the corruption that awaits him and to defend the people, Diego decides to take on the masked identity of Zorro, foiling Monasterio and other villains as he embarks on his adventures in and around the town.

Diego pretends to be a philosophical lout who detests heavy work and is absolutely inept with the sword in order to distance himself from the mysterious masked outlaw who's charming, witty, and an absolute master of the blade. He's also aided in his efforts by his faithful friend Bernardo, who is mute and also pretends to be deaf in order to more effectively spy for Zorro, and his twin sister Ines, who utilizes Monasterio's one-sided affection for her to aid her brother's efforts on multiple occasions and is quite plucky herself.

The series ran for one season of 26 episodes.

It was successful enough to warrant a video game spin-off with the same name in 2022.