Rodriguez confirms latest Austin shoot for June

Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez will shoot the futuristic thriller Nerveracker this June in Austin, he confirmed during a talk atg the South By Southwest Film Festival on Monday. The title was reviously reported as a plural Nerverrackers.

The story is set in 2085 and revolves around Joe Tezca, part of an elite group sent to stop a crime wave in a usually utopian world. “I sold the title 10 years ago to the Weinsteins,” Rodriguez said. “Ten years later I finally have a script.”

The film to be made through a reteaming of Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios and Dimension already has a release date of April 16, 2010. Rodriguez often gives himself a short time frame to complete a film. “I think you should make a movie like it’s your first movie, like you never have enough money or time,” he said. “Then you have to find ways to solve problems.”

The new project will be shooting about the time Shorts, Rodriguez’s latest kid story, is released. This film featuring Laser, Lug and Loogie, through boys inspired very much by his own sons, Rocket, Racer and Rebel. He said he made his sons audition for the roles based on them and only Rebel got a part. “It’s like Little Rascals where anything you wish for comes true,” Rodriguez said of the story, which has a boy finds a rainbow-colored rock that grants wishes.

What about that Sin City sequel? “I always say Sin City 2 is right around the corner because that’s what my audience wants to hear, and I like to please my audience,” Rodriguez said. “It might be a long corner.”

Rodriguez also revealed he finally completed his degree at the University of Texas last year. The comment came in response to a request by a would-be film student as to the validity of a film degree.