Troublemaker Studios is an American independent

production company A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...

founded and owned by filmmaker

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez ( ; born June 20, 1968) 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 ...

and producer Elizabeth Avellán. The company is based in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, and is at the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. It shares space with Austin Studios, which is managed by the Austin Film Society, and houses production offices, sound stages and the largest green screen in Texas.

Background

The company was founded in 1991 as Los Hooligans Productions, taking its name from Rodriguez's own

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

, ''Los Hooligans'', which he wrote and illustrated for three years while attending the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

. Rodriguez chose the name so fans of the strip would recognize it when they saw his films. Since the 1990s, the studio has partnered with distributor

Dimension Films Dimension Films was an American independent film and television production and distribution label founded in 1992, and currently owned by independent studio Lantern Entertainment. Formally one of the American " mini-majors" (i.e., small to m ...

on numerous projects; including the '' From Dusk till Dawn'' films and '' Once Upon a Time in Mexico'', the third film in the '' Mexico Trilogy''. The company was reincorporated as Troublemaker Studios in 2000. 2001's '' Spy Kids'', a family-oriented film, was considered the studio's first breakthrough hit. It has since spawned a long-running

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

, including sequels and an

animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

. On August 12, 2021, the company had signed a deal with

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

and its

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

streaming service.

Filmography

As Los Hooligans Productions (1991–2000): *'' Bedhead'' (1991; short film) *'' El Mariachi'' (February 26, 1993) (distributed by Columbia Pictures) *'' Roadracers'' (July 22, 1994) (distributed by Showtime Network) *'' Desperado'' (August 25, 1995) (distributed by Columbia Pictures) *'' Four Rooms'' (December 25, 1995) (co-production with

A Band Apart A Band Apart Films LLC was an American independent film production company founded by Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bodnarchek, and Lawrence Bender in 1991, before its liquidation in 2006. Its name is a play on the French New Wave classic film, '' B ...

; distributed by

Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...

) *'' From Dusk till Dawn'' (January 19, 1996) (co-production with A Band Apart; distributed by

) *''

The Faculty ''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster in her film debut, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Ha ...

'' (December 25, 1998) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money'' (March 16, 1999) (direct-to-video) (co-production with A Band Apart; distributed by Dimension Films and Buena Vista Home Entertainment) *'' From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter'' (January 18, 2000) (direct-to-video) (co-production with A Band Apart; distributed by Dimension Films and Buena Vista Home Entertainment) As Troublemaker Studios (2000–present): *'' Spy Kids'' (March 30, 2001) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams'' (August 7, 2002) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over'' (July 25, 2003) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' (September 12, 2003) (distributed by Columbia Pictures and Dimension Films) *''

Sin City ''Sin City'' is a series of neo-noir Comic book, comics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in ''Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special'' (April 1991), and continued in ''Dark Horse Prese ...

'' (April 1, 2005) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D'' (June 10, 2005) (distributed by Dimension Films and Columbia Pictures) *'' Grindhouse'' (April 6, 2007) (distributed by Dimension Films) **'' Planet Terror'' (co-production with Rodriguez International Pictures) **''

Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a Stunt performer, stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he says are "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...

'' (co-production with Rodriguez International Pictures) *''

Shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...

'' (August 21, 2009) (co-production with Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Media Rights Capital; distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures) *'' Predators'' (July 9, 2010) (co-production with Davis Entertainment; distributed by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

) *''

Machete A machete (; ) is a broad blade used either as an agricultural implement similar to an axe, or in combat like a long-bladed knife. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the Spanish language, the word is possibly a dimin ...

'' (September 3, 2010) (co-production with Overnight Productions and Hyde Park Entertainment; distributed by 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures Releasing International) *'' The Black Mamba'' (February 19, 2011) (short film) (co-production with RadicalMedia; distributed by Nike) *'' Spy Kids: All the Time in the World'' (August 19, 2011) (distributed by Dimension Films) *'' The Director's Chair'' (2014–present) (co-production with Skip Film and FactoryMade Ventures) *'' Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'' (August 22, 2014) (co-production with Aldamisa Entertainment, Miramax Films and Solipsist Films; distributed by Dimension Films) *''Sock 'Em Dead'' (2015) (short film) (co-production with Rodriguez International Pictures in association with Happy Socks) *'' Alita: Battle Angel'' (February 14, 2019) (co-production with

Lightstorm Entertainment Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc. is an American independent film and television production company founded by filmmaker James Cameron and producer Lawrence Kasanoff in 1990. The company's films include the sci-fi film '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' ...

; distributed by 20th Century Fox) *'' Red 11'' (March 15, 2019) (co-production with Double R) *'' UglyDolls'' (May 3, 2019) (co-production with Reel FX Animation Studios,

Alibaba Pictures Alibaba Pictures Group Limited is a Chinese film company under the Alibaba Group. The film company was formerly ChinaVision Media, of which Alibaba Group bought a majority stake in late 2014. It subsequently was renamed from ChinaVision to Alibaba ...

, Huaxia Film Distribution and Original Force; distributed by

STX Entertainment STX Entertainment is an American independent entertainment and media company. Founded in March 2014 by film producer Robert Simonds and TPG Growth managing partner Bill McGlashan, the studio produces film, television, and digital media projec ...

) *'' Spy Kids: Armageddon'' (September 22, 2023) (co-production with Skydance Media and Spyglass Media Group; distributed by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

)

Divisions and subsidiaries

Rodriguez International Pictures

In the beginning of 2005, Rodriguez launched Rodriguez International Pictures (R.I.P), a film and television production company that mainly focuses on the horror genre. Its name pays homage to the low-budget production company

American International Pictures American International Pictures, LLC (AIP or American International Productions) is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution c ...

. Filmography: *''Curandero: Dawn of the Demon'' (2005) (direct-to-video) (distributed by Dimension Films, Miramax and Lionsgate Home Entertainment) *'' Grindhouse'' (April 6, 2007) (distributed by Dimension Films) **'' Planet Terror'' (co-production with Troublemaker Studios) **''

'' (co-production with Troublemaker Studios) *'' El Mariachi'' (2014) (co-production with Teleset Colombia and

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production company, production and broadcast syndication, distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division o ...

; distributed by Sony Pictures Television International) *'' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'' (2014–15) (co-production with Sugarcane Entertainment and FactoryMade Ventures; distributed by Miramax and

Entertainment One Lionsgate Canada is a Canadian entertainment company and a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Based in Toronto, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series. The company began on June 1, 1973 ...

) *''

Matador A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...

'' (2014) (co-production with K/O Paper Products and FactoryMade Ventures; distributed by Entertainment One) *''

Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists, United Artists Media Group. ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured List of former Lucha Underground p ...

'' (2014–2018) (co-production with

MGM Television Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, formerly known as MGM/UA Television, is the television studio arm of the American film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), specializing in broadcast syndication and the production and distribution of television sh ...

, FactoryMade Ventures and AG Studios) *''Sock 'Em Dead'' (2015) (short film) (co-production with Troublemaker Studios in association with Happy Socks)

Quick Draw Productions

In 2010, Rodriguez launched Quick Draw Productions, a production and financing company that would allow him greater freedom to develop and produce film and television projects. Aaron Kaufman and Iliana Nikolic are his partners in the venture. In 2012, an animation division, Quick Draw Animation, was launched. Both companies are based at Troublemaker Studios. Filmography: *''Two Scoops'' (2013) (short film) (in association with BlackBerry) *'' Machete Kills'' (October 11, 2013) (co-production with A.R. Films, Aldamisa Entertainment, Demarest Films, Overnight Productions and 1821 Pictures; distributed by

Open Road Films Open Road Films, LLC (formerly known briefly as Global Road Entertainment) is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Tom Ortenberg on March 26, 2011, as a joint ven ...

)

Double R Productions

In 2020, Rodriguez launched Double R Productions, a film company that co-creates films for other companies. Filmography: *'' We Can Be Heroes'' (December 25, 2020) (distributed by

) *'' Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles'' (September 3, 2021) (co-production with Interscope Films, Darkroom Productions, Nexus Studios and Aron Levine Productions; distributed by

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

) *''

Hypnotic A hypnotic (from Ancient Greek, Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), also known as a somnifacient or soporific, and commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to sleep induction, induce sleep and to trea ...

'' (May 12, 2023) (co-production with Studio 8, Solstice Studios,

Ingenious Media Ingenious Media (styled as INGENIθUS) is a division of London-based Ingenious Capital Management Limited, also known as Ingenious. The company was founded in 1998 by Patrick McKenna and is focused on media, real estate and infrastructure. Film ...

and Hoosegow Productions; distributed by Ketchup Entertainment in the United States and Warner Bros. Pictures in the United Kingdom) *''

100 Years 100 Years may refer to: * "100 Years" (song), 2003 song by Five For Fighting * ''100 Years'' (film), film due to be released in 2115, one hundred years after production of the film See also *Century A century is a period of 100 years or 10 deca ...

'' (2015; releasing in November 18, 2115) (in association with Kouz Production and Moonwalk Films)

References

External links

* Troublemaker Studios {{Film Studio 1991 establishments in Texas American companies established in 1991 Companies based in Austin, Texas Entertainment companies based in Texas Film production companies of the United States Mass media companies established in 1991 Robert Rodriguez