Music, Style & Culture

Antonio Banderas Is Pablo Picasso In 33 Days

Carlos Saura's film will cover the artist's masterpiece Guernica.

Antonio Banderas has been cast as Pablo Picasso in a film charting the creation of the artist's masterpiece Guernica.

33 Dias (33 Days) comes from writer and director Carlos Saura (The 7th Day, Goya In Bordeaux), and revolves around Picasso's relationship with French artist Dora Maar in the 1930s.

Guernica was created in 1937, and now resides in Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. The 25ft chaotic work of art is meant to depict the blitzkrieg bombing of the town by German forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Variety, who report Banderas' casting, add that legendary Apocalypse Now cinematographer Vittorio Storraro is in talks to join the €8 million French and Spanish-language production.

Banderas said in a quote: "He's a character that has pursued me for a long time. I am from Malaga, and he was born four blocks from where I was born."

The actor had a successful 2011 with the masterful Pedro Almodóvar film The Skin I Live In, and the Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots. Having recently popped up in Haywire, Banderas stars in this week's Black Gold.