Machete Kills Again
Robert Rodriguez cuts up about new Mexploitation film Machete Kills
Fantastic Fest, the wildly popular local film festival devoted solely to genre film oddities, takes over at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lakeline for the next week. The quirky fest has seen explosive growth since its 2005 inception, when it ran for only three days. Now it demands something equally explosive to kick it into high gear.
This year, the rubber will hit the dirt road with the world premiere of the newest action-packed film from director Robert Rodriguez, Machete Kills. It’s the anticipated sequel to 2010’s Machete, which itself began as a fake trailer in the 2007 Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino double-feature Grindhouse.
"I would love to do two [Machete sequels], but I would really love to do three." – director Robert Rodriguez
Actor Danny Trejo once again plays the film series’ eponymous character, a gruff former Mexican federale. Joining Trejo for the sequel is a former co-star from Rodriguez’s Spy Kids film franchise, Alexa Vega. At a Thursday press conference, the director and his two stars offered a look behind the scenes of the latest “Mexploitation” movie from the mind of Rodriguez.
For the Austin-based director, a major challenges was creating a bigger sequel at a quicker pace. “[Machete Kills] was a very short shoot. It was a 29-day shoot, which was 10 days less than the first Machete,” he said. As is the case with many of his projects, Machete Kills was filmed on-site at Troublemaker Studios in Austin. “People would say, ‘Where did you shoot the desert stuff?’" said Rodriguez. "There in the back, where [the former Mueller Airport] and the runways were. It’s all dirt.”
Even with its challenges, Rodriguez was more than excited to return to the world of Machete. “I was excited about doing a couple of sequels. One in particular is that I always wanted to see Machete go into space. I would love to do two, but I would really love to do three.” Fans he talked to at Comic Con were excited by the Machete-in-space concept, so expect to see plenty of glimpses at the idea in Machete Kills.
Rodriguez also had another unique inspiration when it came to the film’s eccentric, billionaire, space-obsessed villain, played by Mel Gibson. “I met a guy, Elon Musk, who created SpaceX, and I went to his factory to see how it would work, because I wanted to see realistically how we could send Machete into space,” says Rodriguez. Like Gibson’s character, Musk is a huge fan of Star Wars, inspiring Rodriguez to make his diabolical villain another sci-fi fanboy.
It's not only successful business magnates who inspire Rodriguez’s characters. His films often feature strong female characters, which he credits to growing up with six sisters. “That’s just my worldview; I grew up with a lot of strong women.” He prefers that his female characters can be easily imagined as the leads in their own movies, and if the opportunity pops up, Rodriguez says he would “love” to do another spinoff of Machete, itself a spinoff.
When asked how he embodies the character of Machete, Trejo simply responded, “I show up,” reminding everyone how the character came to Rodriguez some 20 years ago, when the actor starred in his film Desperado. “[Rodriguez] develops characters that kind of fits somebody’s personality and expressions,” said Trejo. Rodriguez recounts the first and best direction he gave to Trejo when they filmed the original trailer, saying, “Danny, this character is your Charles Bronson.”
It took Vega, who played Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids franchise, some time to convince Rodriguez to cast her in one of his more grownup features; he still saw her as the child actor from more family-friendly fare. “It’s such a sensitive area when girls are trying to make that transition from those younger characters to a more adult world," she said. "People just quickly put you down. But I am 25. I’m not 16 or 17.”
As Trejo and Rodriguez recounted, it was a bit awkward at first seeing Vega walk out on set in her rather revealing outfit. “It was like the first time your daughter stepped out in a bikini,” said Trejo, “but she was so secure with herself that it made everybody else secure.” The director is known for using the same cast for many of his films, and Vega says that she was “in a very, very comfortable environment.”
In characteristic fashion, Rodriguez focuses on the excitement of the film rather than its challenges. “We were going to run through the candy store and grab as much stuff to put in your pockets before they close the store.”
Machete Kills premieres and screens during Fantastic Fest. See the full festival schedule and get more info here. The film opens in U.S. theaters on October 11.
After winning Saturday’s sprint race, Max Verstappen qualified for pole position and would go on to win the 2025 USGP on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso headed toward turn 11 on Sunday. The Spanish legend qualified for P10, finishing in the same position and earning a single point.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Austin, Texas mural wall along the Main Grandstand was a favorite spot for photos.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The grand plaza lake and "Welcome to Texas" sign are easily the biggest targets for a selfie.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc makes his way to the garage before Saturday morning’s Sprint Race. The Frenchman currently sits at 5th place in the driver standings.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Despite losing his seat with Red Bull this season, Mexican hero Checo Perez was still represented around the track. Good news for Checo fans, though: he returns to the track next season with his new team, Cadillac.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Race day brings out the stars in the paddock and it wouldn’t be an Austin event without the omnipresent Matthew McConaughey, who visited several of the team suites on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Unlike Saturday’s sprint, which saw several crashes, turn one went without incident as Max Verstappen maintained his lead and Lando Norris gave up P2 to the charging Ferrari of Charles LeClerc.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Is it even a US F1 race if the Ferrari Pope isn’t there? The famous Ferrari fan was brought onstage at the Champions Club on Friday by Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Circuit of the Americas' newest roller coaster, Circuit Breaker, was in demo mode this weekend. Riders got to preview the attraction months before COTALand opens sometime in 2026.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
British legend Lewis Hamilton made his first appearance at COTA in the unfamiliar red of Ferrari, after switching over from Mercedes after 12 years and seven world championships.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
With the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders away this year, the Houston Texans, who were on a bye week, sent theirs two hours west to help celebrate the pre-race festivities on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Mercedes driver George Russell waves to the fans in the Main Grandstand before embarking on the one-lap drivers’ parade.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ukrainian model and Stake Sauber guest Mariia Lavrukhina was seen in the paddock on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Attendees who were looking for something to do to kill time between racing events on Saturday were treated to exciting Lucha Libra matches.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lance Stroll's Aston Martin car was damaged after the Canadian driver crashed into Haas driver Esteban Ocon during Saturday’s sprint race.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
First-year Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz biked back to the team suite with girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson by his side. The Spanish driver lost his seat at Ferrari last year to Lewis Hamilton.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Cowboy boots and \hats were all the rage this year.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Lando Norris entertained some VIPs at the team’s suite shortly before the race on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Dutch Royal Air Force provided the pre-race flyover prior set to the national anthem on Sunday.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore share a few friendly words before Saturday’s sprint race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Turn 1 Grandstand was full of Ferrari red and McLaren orange.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The calm before the storm looking up the turn one hill. The climb in elevation is 305 feet, the same as the height of the Statue of Liberty from feet to torch.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The pit wall personnel proudly supported their nationality with a glistening Mexican flag.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The entire 2025 USGP grid finishing lap one and beginning lap two.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Network writer Amber Heckler captures a shot of Max Verstappen standing atop his Red Bull car after winning the 2025 USGP.Photo by Amber Heckler
The crowd rushed the podium for the trophy presentation, fighting for the best viewing position.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Verstappen’s Red Bull and his degraded soft tires, which the team put on after his sole pit stop. The Dutch driver started the race on mediums, like most of the drivers on the grid.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles LeClerc finished the race in first, second, and third respectively. The traditional podium celebration saw the top three drivers and the winning driver’s engineer spraying Moet on each other. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
That’s a wrap on the 2025 USGP in Austin, Texas. F1 and COTA announced an extension on Friday that will keep the race in town until at least 2036. See you next year!Photo by Daniel Cavazos