Rodriguez: Creative freedom is essential

Robert Rodriguez thinks “creative freedom” is essential for filmmakers.

The Sin City director partnered up with Univision to launch a new English-language TV channel called El Rey Network.

El Rey, which is now available in 40 million homes, was created with boundless creativity in mind.

“We start with an identity based on creative freedom: There won’t be a lot of executives to say ‘You can’t do that’ because there are no executives! It’s a network for the people,” Robert explained to Variety.

The helmer became a Hollywood A-lister after his 1992 film El Mariachi was released. Robert has sinced directed numerous blockbusters like From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado, Spy Kids and most recently Machete Kills.

The director debuted From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series on El Rey Network on March 11 and he claims the transition into television wasn’t as hard as he initially surmised.

“Ever since El Mariachi” the television world has been interested in me, [they say] ‘You can make things fast and cheap. You’re perfect for TV!’ But I had creative freedom in films and there were too many maybes in TV,” Robert explained.

“Three years ago, I thought about a network. The Univision people were interested in the fact it was going to be English-language. They wanted to get into that business and they liked that I was going to do the programming.”

Robert is still making motion pictures despite his foray into TV.

His next film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will be released in US theatres August 22.