While writer/director Robert Rodriguez might be known by most fans for his action movies like Alita: Battle Angel, Machete and Sin City, the San Antonio-born filmmaker also has a collection of family-friendly movies on his résumé that tend to get overlooked. These include kid-driven adventures like Spy Kids, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl and Shorts.
Rodriguez will add to his filmography of family features with his next movie, We Can Be Heroes. Entertainment Weekly debuted the first photos of the production this week. The film stars Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, who Rodriguez recently worked with on The Mandalorian, and Oscar-nominated Mexican actress Adriana Barraza (Babel).
We Can Be Heroes tells the story of a group of kids who must team together when alien invaders kidnap their superhero parents. Missy (YaYa Gosselin), who is the daughter of Pascal’s character Marcus, doesn’t know she has superpowers, so she has to discover them on her own. According to EW, other kids on the superhero squad can do things like predict the future and morph their face.
“I love casting,” Rodriguez told EW. “I take finding the right people very seriously. Find the people who can bring some magic to it and surprise me with what they bring.”
Last week, the Associated Press reported that Univision sold its stake in Rodriguez’s cable network El Rey. The move makes the studio 100% independently owned.
“This is an important and significant milestone for El Rey, and we’re thrilled to have full ownership of our brand,” Rodriguez said. “Thanks to Univision’s support and guidance, El Rey has been able to achieve more than we ever imagined and I’m confident that with this strong foundation we will continue to successfully serve one of the most important and influential audiences.”