Seeking man-in-black magic

IT’S been seven years since Antonio Banderas and relatively unknown Catherine Zeta-Jones starred in the hit romantic swashbuckler “The Mask of Zorro.”

Banderas has gone on to star in such hits as “Spy Kids” and supplied the voice of the Zorro-esque Puss in Boots on “Shrek 2.” Zeta-Jones not only married Oscar-winning actor-producer Michael Douglas and became the mother of two, she won her own Academy Award 2 1/2 years ago for “Chicago.”

Now the stars have reunited with “Mask” director Martin Campbell for “The Legend of Zorro,” which slashes its way to theaters Oct. 28.

Campbell admits it’s been “quite a gap” between the films. “But it’s probably a good gap. I think people will probably remember the other one. It seems to be on cable endlessly.”

Though the original made more than $250 million internationally, Campbell says there was no talk about a follow-up after its initial release. Finally, about five years ago, he says, sequel talk began to surface. But trying to come up with a fresh concept was difficult.

“There was no point in doing a sequel unless we could at least make it comparable to the original,” says Campbell. “You don’t want to repeat yourself.”

Set in 1850, a decade after “Mask,” the new adventure unfolds around the day California residents go to the polls to vote on whether to become the 31st state of the Union. But with law, order and progress on the march, is there any need for Zorro? “Of course,” Campbell said, “there is quite clearly a need for Zorro.”

But complications quickly arise. Zorro has managed to keep his identity secret all these years -- even from his 10-year-old son. “The only person who does know he’s Zorro is [Zeta-Jones’] Elena,” says Campbell. “It’s very much a father-son story too. It is about family. It’s about obligations. It’s action-packed and very funny. But obviously there is a serious side as well.”

Campbell reflects that “a very interesting dynamic” has developed between Banderas and Zeta-Jones. “He always was a star, but her star has risen enormously. She is right up there with him now.”

Time and success, though, haven’t diminished their chemistry.

“Chemistry is a funny thing,” says Campbell. “It’s entirely luck, and we got lucky on this because they work so well off of each other. It’s a feisty relationship between their characters. She can fight. She’s tough -- and she’s a very good mother.”

Though Campbell enjoyed working with Banderas and Zeta-Jones once again, he admits that “Legend” was a tough shoot.

“It [lasted] 20 weeks,” he says. “We were in the middle of Mexico, and we had very big rainstorms. It was all location shooting. It was physically quite demanding, and we didn’t even get Catherine for the first month because she was shooting ‘Ocean’s Twelve.’ ”