HBO and HBO Max inked first-look agreement with Robert Rodriguez

HBO and HBO Max have signed a a two-year first-look deals with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and his company, Troublemaker Studios. “Robert’s masterful, high concept productions are a perfect match for our HBO Max audiences. We are excited to jump into this partnership and work on brand-new, provocative stories,” said Joey Chavez, executive vice president of original programming, drama, HBO Max.

As part of the collaboration, Rodriguez will bring projects to the two WarnerMedia platforms for potential development as original series. His son, Racer Rodriguez, will serve as a lead development executive on projects produced under the agreement.  Projects could potentially be completed at the studio’s production facilities in Austin, Texas.

“It’s intriguing to be able to tap into the wealth of iconic IP available across the WarnerMedia portfolio and explore new stories to tell,” Rodríguez said. “I’m looking forward to a meaningful collaboration with the high caliber creative talent at HBO and HBO Max who have proven they’re willing to take risks, challenge norms and tell inclusive stories while producing a wide breadth of quality content.”

Rodríguez currently serves as the executive producer and director of the Disney+ series "The Book of Boba Fett," a spin-off of "The Mandalorian." He’s known for his work as a writer, director, and producer of many notable films including "Desperado," "From Dusk Till Dawn," the Spy Kids franchise, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," Frank Miller’s "Sin City," "The Adventures of Sharkboy," and "Lavagirl in 3D," "Grindhouse," "Machete," and "Alita: Battle Angel."

In 2000, Rodriguez founded the Austin, Texas-based Troublemaker Studios. His most recent project, the “Sharkboy, and Lavagirl” follow-up “We Can Be Heroes,” was released on Netflix last year. “Robert Rodriguez and the team at Troublemaker Studios have created some of the most compelling projects in recent memory, pushing the boundaries of genre storytelling with humor and one-of-a-kind visuals,” Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s head of original content, said in a statement.