The San Antonio native and filmmaker behind “Spy Kids” and “Desperado” teased his next project on social media.
SAN ANTONIO — Robert Rodriguez established himself as a Hollywood renegade from the start, making use of scant monetary resources to deliver an indie standout with “El Mariachi” before going on to toy with genre expectations no matter whether the fare was family-friendly (“Spy Kids,” “We Can Be Heroes”) or hard-R (“Sin City,” “From Dusk till Dawn”).
That artistic identity appears ready to reassert itself with the San Antonio-born filmmaker’s next movie, which he teased on social media Monday.
“I’m super pumped to share that I’m returning to one of my first loves, drawing and animation, by directing my first animated feature,” Rodriguez said in a post on X.
The name of his next movie? “The Naughty List,” a title that would suggest a return to grittier storytelling if not for another hint dropped by Rodriguez, who called it a “funny, irreverent and surprising Christmas tale for the whole family.”
Notably, “The Naughty List” is lining up to be Rodriguez’s first production with one of Hollywood’s legacy, theatrical-first studios since “Alita: Battle Angel” in 2019. His recent movies – including “Spy Kids: Armageddon” and the mind-melter “Hypnotic” – have either been Netflix releases or collaborations with smaller studios.
A report from Deadline says the movie will “combine holiday themes with a modern, next-generation approach,” but details are still few as of now—including when the movie might release. The photo accompanying Rodriguez’s announcement could serve as another tease: It features a depiction of human characters climbing a skyscraper-sized snowman.
Regardless, given Rodriguez’s penchant for distinct visual flair, “The Naughty List” makes for compelling new filmmaking territory for him to explore 33 years into his career.
In the meantime, San Antonio fans of the director’s movies can look forward to an anniversary screening of his horror-action mash-up “From Dusk Till Dawn” at the Aztec Theatre this summer. Rodriguez hails from the Alamo City and is now based in Austin.