Robert Rodriguez on the stage of Austin’s Paramount Theatre during last year’s Panic at the Paramount film series. The filmmaker behind Sin City, Desperado, and the Spy Kids movies is being honored with a plaque on the Avenue of Paramount Stars this May. Credit: Photo by Rachel Parker, courtesy of Paramount Theatre

There’s no filmmaker more synonymous with the Paramount Theatre than Robert Rodriguez. In May the venerable Austin venue will give that relationship permanent physical recognition as the Spy Kids and Machete director becomes the latest artist celebrated on the Avenue of Paramount Stars.

If you’ve ever stood outside of the Paramount awning and looked down, you’ll have seen those stars, a hall of fame for artists who have made a major contribution to Austin’s cultural life through their work with and on the stage of the Paramount. The honor so far has been mostly gone to musicians who have become Paramount regulars (Delbert McClinton, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker), and most recently Ruthie Foster) while actors Jaston Williams and Joe Sears share one for their years of residency with Greater Tuna.

Rodriguez called the news “a tremendous honor to be receiving from the Paramount Theatre. I’ve had my best movie experiences there. The audience is always incredible, making movies feel like rock concerts. I am humbled by the recognition and thrilled to be so officially associated with my favorite theatre in the world in such an incredible, grand way.”

Ruthie Foster at the unveiling of her star on the Avenue of Paramount Stars in 2022 Credit: Photo by Kevin Garner, courtesy of the Paramount Theatre
He’ll be the first filmmaker to join that revered roster of inductees, and it’s not hard to see why. At every opportunity he has premiered his films at the Paramount, included those he directed (right back from The Faculty in 1998) or and those, like Predators, which were produced at his Troublemaker Studios in East Austin. In 2023, he did it twice, with a sneak peak at his mind-bending conspiracy thriller Hypnotic during South by Southwest 2023 and the only theatrical screening of his Netflix smash, Spy Kids: Armageddon.

But it’s not just premieres and showing off his new movies. Rodriguez has been known to take the stage with his band, Chingon, and last summer he hosted a season of his favorite films as part of the Paramount’s Summer Classic Film Series, including Escape From New York and What’s Up, Doc?, as well as programming the horror-themed Panic at the Paramount series for Halloween.

So, suitably, the Paramount will be unveiling his star at a special opening night event for this summer’s Summer Classic Films Series on May 25, with guests and programming to be announced.

“Robert has inspired so many movie lovers not only through his own work but also as a one-man film school,” said Stephen Jannise, Paramount’s Director of Film Programming. “His love of classic films and passion for sharing everything he’s learned about the art and craft of filmmaking has helped countless others start their own careers. We are so proud to give him this well-deserved honor on the Avenue of Paramount Stars.”

That’s just one part of a packed year of film programming at the Paramount. It begins this February with “Loves Me, Loves Me Not,” a bouquet of date night features in celebration of Valentine’s day, starting with the 2018 remake of A Star is Born and Love and Basketball on Feb. 10, Romeo + Juliet on Feb 11, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Feb. 13, and Valentine’s Day itself saved for Notting Hill (tickets available now at austintheatre.org).

April sees a special screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with star Alan Ruck in attendance as part of this year’s Moontower Just for Laughs Austin comedy festival, before the Summer Classic Film Series takes over across the hottest months.

This article appears in January 26 • 2024.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.