Most of the chatter about Robert Rodriguez recently has been about his work on Alita: Battle Angel or the announcement that he's making a deal to direct the Escape From New York remake. But the ever-busy director has also signed on for another movie, with STX Entertainment announcing at this year's CinemaCon event that he'll make an Ugly Dolls movie for the company.
Much as DreamWorks Animation saw a future in Trolls, STX has had its eye on the toys, originally created by David Horvath and his Pretty Ugly company, which have become popular sellers in Asia in particular. With one eye on the expanding overseas box office, the mini-studio is hoping it could launch both a franchise and help kick off its family entertainment division.
And it's hardly the first time that Rodriguez has worked in the family arena – he's directed the likes of the Spy Kids movies, The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl In 3D and Shorts. The new movie is taking aim at a 2019 launch, so Rodriguez will be working quickly on this one. Alita, meanwhile, will be out on 20 July next year.