From Dusk till Dawn (franchise)
A horror franchise spanning films, TV, and games.
From Dusk till Dawn is an American media franchise created by Robert Kurtzman, comprising three films, a television series, and a video game. The original 1996 film, a horror crime action thriller, was directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Tarantino, and Juliette Lewis. Two direct-to-video sequels followed: *From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money* (1999), co-written and directed by Scott Spiegel and shot in South Africa, which was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Home Video Release; and *From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter* (1999), a prequel also nominated for the same award. A fourth film was planned in 2010 but never materialized, as a television series began production in 2013. The series, developed by Rodriguez for his El Rey network, debuted in March 2014, starring Robert Patrick, Eiza González, and Don Johnson. Danny Trejo is the only actor to appear in all three films and the series; Michael Parks appears in the first and third films. Rodriguez produced all three films, while Tarantino and Lawrence Bender are credited as executive producers on the sequels. A third-person shooter video game, based on events after the first film, was released for Windows in 2001.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Robert Rodriguez (1) / Scott Spiegel (2) / P. J. Pesce (3)
- Screenplay
- From Dusk till Dawn: · Quentin Tarantino · Texas Blood Money: · Scott Spiegel · Duane Whitaker · The Hangman's Daughter: · Alvaro Rodriguez
- Story
- From Dusk till Dawn: · Robert Kurtzman · Texas Blood Money: · Scott Spiegel · Boaz Yakin · Quentin Tarantino · The Hangman's Daughter: · Alvaro Rodriguez · Robert Rodriguez
- Producer
- Lawrence Bender · Quentin Tarantino · Robert Rodriguez · Elizabeth Avellan
- Studio
- A Band Apart · Los Hooligans · Dimension Films
- Distributor
- Dimension Films (1–2) · Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2–3)
- Runtime
- 314 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $30 million (all films)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The franchise began with the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn, a horror crime action thriller directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Tarantino, and Juliette Lewis. Two direct-to-video sequels followed: From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999), co-written and directed by Scott Spiegel, and From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (1999), a prequel. Danny Trejo is the only actor to appear in all three original films and the television series. Michael Parks appears in both the first film and The Hangman's Daughter. Rodriguez produced all three films, while Tarantino and Lawrence Bender served as executive producers on the sequels.
Reader's Guide
The From Dusk till Dawn franchise is significant for its blend of genres and its expansion into multiple media. The original film became a cult classic, leading to direct-to-video sequels, a video game, a comic book, collectable statues, and a TV series. The second film, Texas Blood Money, won a Saturn Award for Best Home Video Release in 1999, while the third film, The Hangman's Daughter, was nominated in the same category. A fourth film was planned in 2010 but was not produced; instead, a television series debuted in 2014 on the El Rey network. The franchise's legacy lies in its enduring popularity and its role in showcasing the collaborative work of Rodriguez, Tarantino, and Kurtzman.
Did You Know?
- A fourth film was planned in December 2010 but was not produced; a TV series began production in 2013.
- The video game, released in 2001 for Windows, is a third-person shooter set after the events of the first film.
More in Horror film franchises 1-24
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