Antonio Banderas has two new projects in mind to direct in Spain following his Malaga-set drama Summer Rain, screening in both Sundance and Berlin.

Banderas said he is moving forward on a long-gestating project about Boabdil, the last Caliph of the Kingdom of Granada, envisioned as a Spain-France-Morocco co-production through his Malaga-based production company Green Moon, run with Antonio Meliveo and Carlos Taillefer.

The budget would run upwards of $26m (Euros 20m), almost triple that of the Euros $9.6m (Euros 7.4m) Summer Rain (El Camino De Los Ingleses), and would not shoot before 2008.

Before that, Banderas hopes to make a low-budget - under $1m (Euros 1m) - film 'almost like a theatre play, put together in a few weeks and in a studio.' He and wife Melanie Griffith could conceivably star in the likely English-language piece. 'I'm searching for theatre plays for two people... just a man and a woman talking and reflecting about our time, relationships, love, jealousy, whatever makes a couple work.'

His long talked-about film adaptation of Gamel Woolsey's Spanish Civil War-set book Death's Other Kingdom has currently stalled: 'The incredible paradox is that it is very difficult to find the rights and I can't start developing a project without having the rights to the novel,' he said.

Banderas' name has also been attached as an actor on two films which could shoot in Spain: Pedro Almodovar's La Piel Que Habito, a thriller Almodovar recently cited as a next project potentially co-starring Volver lead Penelope Cruz; and Andrucha Waddington's $40m Spanish-language Hernan Cortes epic Conquistador.

'If he whistles, I'll be there,' Banderas said of working with Almodovar. In regards to Conquistador, he said: 'They are having problems financing so I don't know what is going to happen. I don't know if the movie's going to reduce the budget or if they're going to change the project to English. I am definitely interested in a character like Cortes.'

Finally, Banderas said he is working on a new project with Gregory Nava, his director on Berlinale screener Bordertown, titled El Compadre. The film, about a famous Latino radio personality called El Cucuy De La Manana, would be set in the few days leading up to a massive immigrant rights protest in Los Angeles last year for which El Cucuy helped rally people. Banderas said Nava is writing the script now.

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