Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American film and television director, producer, writer, composer, cinematographer and editor. He has contributed to many projects as a combination of the six. Less commonly, Rodriguez has also worked as a second unit director, digital animator and a visual effects supervisor.
Despite being rejected from the University of Texas' film school due to poor academic promise of the Arts, Robert Rodriguez created his first 16mm short film Bedhead which opened many doors for him. Rodriguez then created his first feature-length film El Mariachi which was picked up by Columbia Pictures. After directing the television film Roadracers , Rodriguez continued work in Hollywood.
El Mariachi was the first of Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy that included Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico . Rodriguez continued working on several other film series including the crime-horror film hybrid From Dusk till Dawn and the family-oriented adventure film series Spy Kids. Rodriguez has also collaborated with film director Quentin Tarantino on various projects including Four Rooms , From Dusk till Dawn , Kill Bill: Volume 2 , Sin City and Grindhouse .
Year | Title | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | DoP | Composer | Re-Recording Mixer | Notes | ||
1992 | El Mariachi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Also sound editor, music editor, sound effects designer, additional editor, camera operator and still photographer. |
1995 | Desperado | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Also steadicam operator |
1996 | From Dusk till Dawn | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | No | No | Yes | Also soundtrack producer |
1998 | The Faculty | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Also camera operator and mechanical department: XFX Inc. |
1999 | From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money | No | No | Executive | No | No | No | No | Direct-to-video |
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter | No | Story | Executive | No | No | No | No | Direct to video Presenter and special thanks (as Robert R., Mi Hermano) | |
2001 | Spy Kids | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Also visual effects supervisor and camera operator; Writer: "Oye Como Spy", "Los Robotos". |
2002 | Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also sound effects editor, visual effects supervisor, production designer and camera operator: "a" camera; Lyrics and Music: "Isle of Dreams", "Floop's Dream"; Producer: "Isle of Dreams"; Writer: "Oye Como Spy". |
2003 | Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Also visual effect supervisor and production designer; Producer: "Game Over", "Heart Drive"; Writer: "Game Over", "Heart Drive", "Spy Wedding Theme". |
Once Upon a Time in Mexico | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also sound effects editor, visual effects supervisor, production designer, steadicam operator and camera operator: "a" camera; Producer: "Flor De Mal", "Siente Mi Amor"; Writer: "Siente Mi Amor". | |
2004 | Kill Bill: Volume 2 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | |
2005 | Sin City | Yes | Uncredited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Frank Miller Also visual effects supervisor and camera operator. |
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl | Yes | Yes | Uncredited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also visual effects supervisor; Lyrics and Music: "Sharkboy & Lavagirl"; Producer and writer: "Dream, Dream, Dream, Dream (Dream, Dream)", "Sharkboy & Lavagirl". | |
Curandero | No | Yes | Executive | No | No | No | No | ||
2007 | Grindhouse: Death Proof | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
Grindhouse: Planet Terror | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also visual effects supervisor, music producer and camera operator. Writer: "Grindhouse (Main Titles)", "Useless Talent #38", "Two Against the World", "Cherry's Dance of Death". | |
2009 | Shorts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also camera operator and music producer. Writer: "Spy Ballet". |
2010 | Predators | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | |
Machete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Ethan Maniquis Composer via his band Chingon. Also visual effects supervisor and music producer. Writer: "Machete Main Title Theme". | |
2011 | Spy Kids: All the Time in the World | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2013 | Machete Kills | Yes | Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also visual effects executive producer and music producer. Writer: "Machete Main Title Theme". |
2014 | Sin City: A Dame to Kill For | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Frank Miller Writer: "Skin City", "Uh Huh". |
2019 | Alita: Battle Angel | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Red 11 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
UglyDolls | No | Story | Yes | No | No | No | No | ||
2020 | We Can Be Heroes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | [1] |
2021 | Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Concert film co-directed with Patrick Osborne |
2023 | Hypnotic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
Spy Kids: Armageddon | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Year | Title | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | Dop | Composer | Notes | ||
1991 | Bedhead | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-written with Bryant Delafosse and David Rodriguez Also animator and sound effects |
1995 | Room 309 - "The Misbehavers" | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Segment from the film Four Rooms |
2007 | Machete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Fake trailer shown in the double-feature film Grindhouse |
2011 | The Black Mamba | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Commercial short Also sound mixer |
2013 | Two Scoops | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-written with Gary Lathwell and Richard Peretti |
2015 | Sock 'em Dead | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uncredited | No | Also sound |
2018 | The Limit | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Short VR film co-written with Racer Max Rodriguez |
2115 | 100 Years | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Filmed in 2015, but scheduled for release on November 18, 2115 [2] |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | From Dusk till Dawn | Band Member | Uncredited |
1997 | Full Tilt Boogie | Himself | Documentary |
2000 | Famous | Punk #2 | |
Bullfighter | Bullboy #1 | ||
2005 | Sin City | SWAT Member | Uncredited |
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D | Shark | Voice, uncredited | |
2006 | High Hopes | Mr. Lewis | |
2007 | Planet Terror | One of Abby's Henchmen | Uncredited |
2008 | Dead On: The Life and Cinema of George A. Romero | Himself | Documentary |
Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX | Himself | Documentary | |
2010 | The United Monster Talent Agency | Jaws Scientist | Short film |
2013 | Amelia's 25th | Emilio Cruz | |
2014 | New World Man | Mr. Folsom | Voice |
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For | Sam's Friend | Uncredited | |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1994 | Pulp Fiction | Directed Quentin Tarantino's scene |
1997 | Mimic | Directed some scenes |
Scream 2 | Directed the movie-within-a-movie titled Stab | |
Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Creator | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Roadracers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Television film |
2014–2016 | From Dusk till Dawn: The Series | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directed 7 episodes Wrote episode: "Pilot" |
2014–2016 | The Director's Chair | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Also host and editor; Directed 12 episodes |
2014 | Matador | Yes | Yes | No | No | Directed 2 episodes |
2014–2018 | Lucha Underground | No | Yes | No | No | |
2018 | Spy Kids: Mission Critical | No | Yes | No | Yes | |
2020 | The Mandalorian [3] | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" |
2021 | Rebel Without a Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School | No | Yes | No | Yes | Also host |
2021–2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | Yes | Yes | No | No | Directed 3 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Nash Bridges | Marlo Veras, Commercial Director | Episode "Bombshell" |
2000 | Deadline | Chicago SWAT Lt. | Episode "Pilot" |
2011 | The Cleveland Show | Himself | Voice role; Episode "Hot Cocoa Bang Bang" |
2017 | Uncle Grandpa | Himself | Voice role; Episode "New Direction" |
2021–2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | Dokk Strassi, Mok Shaiz | Voice role, 5 episodes |
Year | Title | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|
2010 | "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)" | Bob Schneider |
2015 | "Confident" | Demi Lovato |
2020 | "Rain On Me" | Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande |
2021 | "Off the Ground" | Haley Reinhart |
Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2.6 million against a budget of $7,000. The film spawned two sequels known collectively as the Mexico Trilogy: Desperado (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003).
Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault is an actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999).
El Mariachi is a 1992 Spanish language American independent neo-Western action film and the first part of the saga that came to be known as Robert Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy. It marked the feature-length debut of Rodriguez as writer and director. The Spanish language film was shot with a mainly amateur cast in the northern Mexican border town of Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico across from Del Rio, Texas, the home town of leading actor Carlos Gallardo as the title character. The US$7,225 production was originally intended for the Mexican home-video market, but executives at Columbia Pictures liked the film and bought the American distribution rights. Columbia eventually spent $200,000 to transfer the print to film, to remix the sound, and on other post-production work, then spent millions more on marketing and distribution.
From Dusk till Dawn is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and Juliette Lewis, the plot follows a pair of American criminal brothers who take a family as hostages in order to cross into Mexico, but ultimately find themselves trapped in a saloon defending against a horde of vampires.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a 2003 American neo-Western action film written, directed, produced, photographed, scored, and edited by Robert Rodriguez. It is the sequel to Desperado (1995) and the third and final installment in the Mexico Trilogy. The film features Antonio Banderas in his second and final performance as El Mariachi. In the film, El Mariachi is recruited by CIA agent Sheldon Sands to kill a corrupt general responsible for the death of his wife, Carolina.
Desperado is a 1995 American neo-Western action film written, co-produced, edited and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is the second part of Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy. It stars Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover. The film was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. Desperado grossed $58 million worldwide. It has been cited as featuring Salma Hayek's breakout role.
Troublemaker Studios is an American independent production company founded and owned by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellán.
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter is a 1999 American Western horror film directed by P. J. Pesce. It serves as a prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. It was released directly to video and was nominated at the 26th Saturn Awards for "Best Home Video Release". In late 2010, the production of a fourth film in the series was discussed, but, as of August 2012, further work on this possibility has not been revealed. A TV series adaptation was released in 2014.
Bedhead is a 1991 short family-comedy-fantasy film directed and co-written by Robert Rodriguez.
The Mexico Trilogy is a series of American/Mexican contemporary western action films written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The series' plot tells the continuing story of El Mariachi, a man who painfully lives alone after seeing all of his loved ones die. El Mariachi was portrayed by actors Carlos Gallardo and Antonio Banderas. The films were originally released in theatres from 1993 to 2003, and later on home video as a collection in 2010.
Planet Terror is a 2007 American action comedy horror film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Set in Texas, the film follows the survivors of a biochemical outbreak as they battle zombie-like creatures and a rogue military unit. It stars Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, and Marley Shelton.
Madison Davenport is an American actress, best known for her role as Beatrice in It's What's Inside and as Kate Fuller in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. She also appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl as Kit's friend Ruthie Smithens.
Eiza González Reyna is a Mexican actress and singer. She gained popularity for starring in the Argentine Nickelodeon teen sitcom Sueña conmigo (2010–2011). As a singer, she released the albums Contracorriente (2009) and Te Acordarás de Mí (2012).
Joe Menendez is an American film and television director, who has moved between the film and TV medium his entire career.
John Michael Fogelman is an American entrepreneur. He is the CEO of FactoryMade Ventures, an entertainment and media incubator. Formerly Executive Vice President and Head of the Motion Picture Department and the Intellectual Property Group at the William Morris Agency (WMA), Fogelman was a principal architect of the merger between William Morris and Endeavor Talent Agency, and served as a founding board member and an agent after the companies merged in 2009. He left William Morris Endeavor in 2011 to found FactoryMade.
Cristina "Cris" Magno Patwa is the co-CEO of FactoryMade Ventures, a Los Angeles–based entertainment and media incubator.
From Dusk till Dawn is an American media franchise created by Robert Kurtzman, including three films, a video game and a TV series.
From Dusk till Dawn: The Series is an American horror television series developed by Robert Rodriguez. It forms part of the franchise of film, direct-to-video, and comics of From Dusk till Dawn, expanding on the chronicles of the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie, the Fuller family, and Santanico Pandemonium. The series adds to the tone of the film, with new characters and backstories, while expanding the snake creatures' Mesoamerican mythology. The series also references the Popol Vuh, drawing on its rich, mythological history and, in particular, on the legend of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué to add greater depth to the backstories and to fully flesh out the characters of the show's protagonists.
The following is a list of unproduced Robert Rodriguez projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, film director Robert Rodriguez has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects are officially cancelled or fell apart in development.