Austin's own maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, known for hits like "Spy Kids" and "Sin City," has firmly planted his boots on the Avenue of Paramount Stars, snagging the seventh star outside the historic Paramount Theatre. Amid the 50th anniversary celebrations of the theatre's summer film series, Rodriguez received this tribute in the city that helped shape his revolutionary career. "I'm just so overwhelmed. I love the classic movie series. I love the performing arts. I love theater. I love Austin and I adore the Paramount Theatre," Rodriguez said during his acceptance speech, according to KXAN.
Paramount witnessed the ascent of this iconic director from his early days studying film at UT Austin, to fully embracing the essentials of Texas. Rodriguez, who fought to fiercely maintain his creative vision, didn't shrink from reinventing kid's action genres with his widely beloved "Spy Kids" movies. The film creator, driven by a mission to embody representation and inclusion, noted, "That's what my brother has always told me. Autonomy in any platform of business is so important because you have your own vision," Patricia Vonne Rodriguez, his sister, told KXAN.
The director's ties to Austin are long-standing and deep-rooted. His company, Troublemaker Studios, also calls the city home. The sentiment of local pride was echoed in his words: "It's special because it made me realize I didn't have to move to Hollywood to be a filmmaker, to realize my dream," Rodriguez remarked in a YouTube interview. His "Spy Kids" reboot, "Spy Kids: Armageddon," was notably set against the backdrop of Austin, a testament to his dedication to the Texan film scene.
Robert Rodriguez now joins the illustrious ranks of other Paramount Star honorees, such as musicians Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, and Delbert McClinton. Embracing his new star-struck status with humor, Rodriguez quipped about the possibility of haunting the Paramount: "The only next best thing to have than a star here would be to come back in the next life as one of the many ghosts that reside here. We'll be able to haunt and watch concerts and movies forever, but the star will do for now," he said, as noted by KXAN. Post their ceremonious moments, fans were treated to a screening of his 2005 film, "Sin City," featuring Alexis Bledel, further sealing the celebratory weekend.
