Robert Rodriguez prefers From Dusk Till Dawn TV series over original film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

So let's hear it. Did ya get to check out "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" when it premiered on the El Rey Network last night? Are you looking forward to this journey to the Titty Twister with D.J. Cotrona and Zane Holtz’s versions of Seth and Richie Gecko (played in the original film by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino)? And how do you think this first season will stack up against the classic 1996 film that inspired it? I have high hopes for it, as does writer, director and executive producer Robert Rodriguez, who shared that he prefers this new television series to his beloved original film.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Rodriguez explained what inspired him to create the show, sharing…

“Really early on, I just thought this would be a really great show to do. Ever since we finished the movie, there’s a last shot that I put in that wasn’t in the script where the camera pulls back and you see that the bar was on top of an Aztec temple. People always loved that tease, thinking, ‘Is there a sequel that’s gonna follow this up,’ and we never did. And I’ve had that matte painting on my wall for 18 years and I always thought, I wanna do something with that. I didn’t know what. I didn’t know it’d be TV until I got this network.”

Rodriguez also shared that he's not going to shy away from giving us the gore and pushing the envelope in terms of what can be shown on cable television, sharing that he is committed to taking a "Walking Dead"-like approach to the show and going all out with the graphic nature of the material.

“It’s just a lot different today, I mean like what you can do. Even Walking Dead I think is more intense than even the films that were able to come out that, back in the day, got NC-17 ratings or X ratings or non-ratings, so I think you can really push the envelope on television today, especially if the story dictates it. I don’t think we just go to try to outdo anybody, but when the story kicks into that gear, it kicks into that gear.”

Rodriguez went on to share that he feels the television series shouldn't have a problem emulating what made the original film so much fun, but adds that with the series we can take the time to get to know the characters, even though we know where the series is headed with their fates. This is one reason Rodriguez says he prefers the series over his original film:

“The series is a crime saga with supernatural elements so you have to feel that from the very beginning, but it works much better because it’s the novel version so there are ties. Everyone’s supposed to get to that bar. Everyone’s destined to get there, and when they get there, because they don’t even get there until like halfway through the season, it’s so emotional when you get there, and you know what’s gonna happen and you know that everyone’s tied to it and it’s their destiny. Even the girl who comes out with the snake means so much now because you’ve gotten glimpses of her already. It’s really powerful and I really like this version more than the film.”

Hit us with your thoughts on the season premiere of "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" below. What did you like? What do you hope to see expanded on? And do you think this series will be able to stack up to the fun that the original film delivered?