▁took ▁notice ▁of ▁Z eta - J ones ▁in ▁T itan ic ▁and ▁recommended ▁her ▁to ▁Martin ▁Campbell , ▁who ▁was ▁direct ing ▁The ▁M ask ▁of ▁Z or ro ▁( 1 9 9 8 ) ▁for ▁Spiel berg ' s ▁production ▁company . ▁Campbell ▁cast ▁her ▁as ▁the ▁leading ▁lady ▁instead ▁of ▁Iz abel la ▁Sc or up co , ▁who ▁was ▁his ▁original ▁choice ▁for ▁the ▁part . ▁Co - st arring ▁Anthony ▁Hop kins ▁and ▁Antonio ▁B ander as , ▁the ▁film ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Z or ro ▁( H op kins ), ▁a ▁Spanish ▁war rior ▁( the ▁film ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁Old ▁California ) ▁who ▁sets ▁out ▁to ▁a ven ge ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁find ▁his ▁lost ▁daughter ▁El ena ▁( Z eta - J ones ). ▁She ▁found ▁similar ities ▁between ▁her ▁" vol atile " ▁C elt ic ▁person ality ▁and ▁her ▁Latin ▁character ' s ▁temper ament , ▁and ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁she ▁studied ▁dan cing , ▁r iding ▁and ▁sword - f ight ing , ▁and ▁took ▁diction ▁less ons ▁in ▁Spanish . ▁Fil ming ▁the ▁action ▁and ▁dance ▁sequences ▁while ▁we aring ▁heavy ▁cor sets ▁in ▁the ▁dry ▁Mexican ▁desert ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁challenge ▁for ▁Z eta - J ones , ▁but ▁she ▁found ▁the ▁experience ▁" worth ▁suffering ▁for ". ▁The ▁M ask ▁of ▁Z or ro ▁was ▁posit ively ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁critics ▁and ▁earned ▁over ▁US $ 2 5 0 ▁million ▁world wide . ▁The