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Robert Rodriguez's Next Film Gets an Impressive Cast

by Alex Billington
May 31, 2008

With that headline I know a lot of you got excited at the prospect of finally hearing that the cast was official for Sin City 2. Alas, that's not the case. Robert Rodriguez is going back to his roots. No, not Mexico, but children's films. In case you need a refresher, Rodriguez directed Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2, and Spy Kids 3D all before Sin City. Now you know where he got all the money he needed to make Sin City. And it sounds like he's taking a similar path this time, since the studios aren't too excited about making Sin City 2 after Grindhouse flopped last year. Now we have an impressive cast officially lined up for Shorts, Rodriguez's new family comedy adventure.

Jon Cryer, William H. Macy, Leslie Mann and James Spader all star in Shorts. Jimmy Bennett, Kat Dennings, Trevor Gagnon, Leo Howard, Devon Gearhart, Rebel Rodriguez, Jake Short and Jolie Vanier are all also part of the impressive cast. Shorts is set in a suburb where all the houses look the same and everyone works for Black Box, manufacturer of the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget. Chaos follows when an 11-year-old boy is hit in the head with a rainbow-colored rock that grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Not only did Rodriguez write the script himself, but he will act as director, cinematographer, editor, and visual effect supervisor.

I think I'm more amazed that Rodriguez is pretty much making this film himself. Plus, the story above sounds like something Michel Gondry would direct, with a rainbow-colored rock that grants wishes being the central point of focus. Not only does this just sound radical, on the lines of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D, but it's got quite an impressive cast. I'm guessing this isn't going to be the next best film that Rodriguez can add to his filmography, but I'm sure it'll make him the money he needs to make Machete or Sin City 2 or both. And we all know that's the real stuff that we love to see Rodriguez making!

Explore tags: Casting, Movie News

Brian G

Check Rodriguez's credits. He performs numerous functions on ALL of his films, including, usually, composer. That's why his "Ten-Minute Film School" extras that are included on the DVD releases of his films are so fun - the guy does literally everything!
Marcus

Now being an adult, I find it really hard to say if a child's film sounds good or not. I didnt like the sound of Spy Kids but it performed amicably and gained itself two sequels, all earning pots of cash. So I cant say for sure if this blows or not. However, with it being a Rodriquez film, I dont see how it can suck. He seriously doesnt get the credit he deserves when it comes to filmmaking.
Dave Lister, JMC

Machete? ...anyone? ...is that a dead project now?
Curtis

I wish he would stop making kids movies, Spy Kids sucked and we all want him to finally make Sin City 2. I must say this movie does have an impressive cast and i could be wrong and this could be a decent flick but from the story i think thats is far as it will go decent.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Sharkboy and Lavagirl I remember was a pretty big flop.
karni

The story sounds fun, but I think people have it pegged all wrong dubbing it a kid flick. I think it's the right film at the right time, very relevant and oddly entertaining, which is probably why it's being made. Plus, he's RR, he can do whatever the f*ck he wants, and I'll certainly go see it.
http://www.feoamante.com Feo Amante

Wow Alex, I don't want to be a troll here, but do you really know anything about Rodriguez? For you to be "amazed" that he's pretty much making this film himself means you know nothing about his entire career. I mean, writer, director, cinematographer, editor, visual effect supervisor - that's a slow day for Robert! For you to suggest that Rodriguez is returning to his "roots" by making another kid flick like Spy Kids (and yes, his last kid flick, SB and LG, tanked), when he hade nearly ten years of making four feature films, various short films and TV shows from 1991 to 1998. Finally, there's nothing radical about the plot of Shorts for Rodriguez, as he's well in his own territory here, as you pointed out with Shark Boy and Lava Girl (and the Spy Kids movies as well). And you deliver it all with such a breathless tone that it smacks of hyperbolic drivel. Come on, dude! We all love movies (obviously! that's why we come here and that's why we read you!), but you don't have to hard-sell this like some gym membership. And if you are really Just That Excited by all of this, then at least demonstrate your passion by having a decent knowledge of what you are talking about. I'm not flaming here; no name calling; just sayin'.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Hey Feo, no worries, glad to have someone call me out! So, first things first, the line about his "roots" being kids movies was completely a joke. I'm not sure if it came off that way in my writing, but that was my intention. I know that his first movies were El Mariachi and Desperado, but it was a joke that his "roots" are kids movies because he did so many of them before getting to Sin City... Second, I know that Rodriguez usually does everything himself on all of his films, and my point is that still never fails to impress me. Almost no one else out there (in Hollywood) does this! Can I not be amazed that he still does and still kicks ass at it? And last, I'm not really that excited for this, but it does have an impressive cast and sounds like a whack concept. I think I'm just excited for the next film Rodriguez does because he's such a great filmmaker and I'm still on a high from Planet Terror. That's where my enthusiasm for this article comes from. Just clarifying...
Hector

Wow Feo, You sound like a die hard fan of Rodriguez, but stop bitchin Alex so much.
PA

Wow, this guy everything! Except he doesn't... there are still many crew members during and post production who are largely ignored in Rodriguez features. Not to mention his many assistants. Don't mean to be a dick or anything, and I'm sorry if I come off as one, but I needed to say something. By the way, no one else in Hollywood does this because Rodriguez ain't part of any guild or union...
darrin

im not a big fan of spy kids and lava girl or whatever its called but grindhouse was okay and sincity was great, but th only reason i didnt like the children flicks is because of the lame endings he creates, i thought spy kids 3d was going good until that ending spoiled the flow of the flick. i would still check this out.
http://www.feoamante.com Feo Amante

Hey Alex, Thanks for the clarification! When someone has only text to go by, sometimes a well placed emoticon helps (that's why they have them. Former Python man, John Cleese, did a brilliant documentary about it). As for Hector, "Guilty as charged, dude!" Rodriguez is in my pantheon along with Hitchcock, Lewellen, Spielberg, Tarantino, Chow, Verbinski, Guillermo, and the two J.C.s.
http://www.youtube.com/user/UribeFilmProductions Vic

ROdriguesz use to eb muy hero- he sucks balls now.
Kail

You know what, Robert Rodriguez is a fucking genius, why? Because he can make fucking Spy Kids AND Sin City and have two completely different loyal fan bases. You get the kids who love Spy Kids, and you get the adults who love his more mature movies. Can anyone else do that? John Waters is the only other director I can think of who has made both R-rated and PG-rated movies (and NC-17 and X), so you don't really see much of that and I think that's swell. I think this will be excellent.
Gil

I don't care if he makes kids movies, I enjoyed sin city and grindhouse as well as from dawn til dusk. I know my nieces and nephews really liked the spy kids movies. I just hope he makes sinc city 2 but I wonder if it will be a prequel of the first one or will it have new characters. Maybe he could do a movie about vampirella or dr strange.
http://blackguy.com Black Guy

Ignorance & hyperbole. Classic Alex.
Kate

THIS MOVIE WILL BE AWESOME!!!! JLIE VANIER IS MY COUSIN!!!! SERIOUS!!!!!!
Kate

i mean Jolie Vanier sorry