From Dusk till Dawn: The Series

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From Dusk till Dawn: The Series
From Dusk Till Dawn - The Series Logo.png
Season one title card
Genre
Based on From Dusk till Dawn
by Quentin Tarantino
Robert Rodriguez
Developed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring
Opening theme"After Dark" by Chingon
ComposerCarl Thiel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMark McNair
Production locations Austin, Texas
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time45 minutes
(approx.)
Production companies
Original release
Network El Rey
ReleaseMarch 11, 2014 (2014-03-11) 
November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)

From Dusk till Dawn: The Series is an American horror television series developed by Robert Rodriguez. It forms part of the franchise of film, direct-to-video, and comics of From Dusk till Dawn , expanding on the chronicles of the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie; The Fuller family; and Santanico Pandemonium. [1] The series adds to the tone of the film, with new characters and backstories, while expanding the snake creatures' Mesoamerican mythology. [2] The series also references the Popol Vuh, drawing on its rich, mythological history and, in particular, on the legend of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué to add greater depth to the backstories and to fully flesh out the characters of the show's protagonists, the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie. [3]

Contents

The series premiered on March 11, 2014, [4] [5] on Rodriguez's newly launched El Rey Network. [2] Outside the United States and Latin America, the series is marketed as a Netflix original but was removed in November 2022. [6] [7] It was produced by FactoryMade Ventures in association with Miramax and executive produced by Rodriguez. [8] [9]

The third season [10] aired from September 6 to November 1, 2016. While the series was never officially announced as cancelled, Deadline Hollywood reported that the actors were released from their contracts on October 31. [11]

Plot

In this supernatural crime series, Seth Gecko and his violent, unpredictable brother, Richard "Richie" Gecko, are wanted by the FBI and Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez after a bank robbery left several people, including policemen and Gonzalez's mentor Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, dead. Heading for the Mexico border pursued by Gonzalez, the Geckos encounter former minister Jacob Fuller and his family, whom they take hostage by commandeering the Fullers' RV. Drug lord Don Carlos reroutes them to a strip club populated by snakelike people that all must fight for food to survive until dawn.

Cast and characters

Main cast

ActorCharacterSeasons
123
D. J. Cotrona Seth Gecko Main
Zane Holtz Richie Gecko Main
Jesse Garcia Ranger Ferdinand "Freddie" GonzalezMain
Eiza González Santanico Pandemonium / KisaMain
Madison Davenport Kate Fuller / AmaruMain
Brandon Soo Hoo Scott FullerMain
Robert Patrick Jacob FullerMain
Wilmer Valderrama Carlos MadrigalMain
Jake Busey Aidan "Sex Machine" TannerRecurring [lower-alpha 1] Main
Esai Morales Lord Amancio MalvadoMain
Danny Trejo [lower-alpha 2] The RegulatorMain
Don Johnson/Jesse Johnson [lower-alpha 3] Ranger Earl McGrawMainGuest

Recurring cast

ActorCharacterSeasons
123
Jamie TisdaleMargaret GonzalezRecurring
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Narciso MenendezRecurring
Brandon SmithCaptain Chance HolbrookRecurring
Samantha EstebanMonica GarzaRecurring
Briana Evigan Sonja LamRecurring
Patrick DavisRafa InfanteRecurring
Alicia SanzPaloma GutierrezRecurring
Demi Lovato MaiaRecurring
Jeff Fahey Uncle Eddie CruickshankRecurring
Emily Rios Ximena VasconcelosRecurring
Ana de la Reguera Lord Venganza VerdugoRecurring
Maurice Compte BrasaRecurring
Marko Zaror ZoloRecurring
Tom Savini BurtRecurring
Nicky Whelan Dr. Dakota BlockRecurring

Guest stars

Production

From Dusk till Dawn is the first scripted original series on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey network. Series creator and showrunner Rodriguez, who also directed the pilot and other episodes, stated the original film is "one of the favorite movies that I did in the past with Quentin Tarantino and one that people still ask us about today. There was so much I wanted to explore in that movie that I didn't get to. And I delved a little deeper into Mesoamerican mythologies and Aztec and Mayan mythologies and where a vampire culture could have existed back then and found fascinating stuff". [12]

International broadcast

In Australia, the series premiered on SBS 2 on July 1, 2014.

In the UK, the series has been broadcast on Spike since January 4, 2016, as From Dusk Till Dawn. [13]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 10March 11, 2014 (2014-03-11)May 20, 2014 (2014-05-20)
2 10August 25, 2015 (2015-08-25)October 27, 2015 (2015-10-27)
3 10September 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)

Reception

From Dusk till Dawn has received mostly favorable reviews. Review aggregator site Metacritic has given the first season a "generally favorable" score of 61 out of 100, based on nine critics. [14]

On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 75% rating with an average rating of 6.6 out of 10, based on 16 reviews. [15] It was picked #1 on Entertainment Weekly 's Must list and as one of the Hottest New Fiction Shows by The Hollywood Reporter . [16] [17]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsOutcome
2015 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards [18] Best TV Supporting ActorZane HoltzNominated
Saturn Award [19] Best Limited Run Television SeriesFrom Dusk Till DawnNominated

Music

Season 1 soundtrack

The soundtrack for season 1, named From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 1 (Music from the Original Series), was released on May 5, 2015, through Chingon Music. [20] The album features music by Robert Rodriguez's band Chingon (tracks 1–6) and series composer Carl Thiel (tracks 7–20).

No.TitleLength
1."After Dark (Spanish Version)" (Tito & Tarantula cover; series theme song)5:54
2."Hey Baby Que Paso"3:08
3."El Rey"3:13
4."Cascabel"4:47
5."Malaguena Salerosa"4:07
6."Cuka Rocka (Extended)"6:11
7."It's Gonna Be a Long Day"2:07
8."The Lost Shepherd"2:52
9."Blood in the Sand"1:31
10."Encounter in Room 207"1:56
11."Border Station Shootout"1:53
12."Beyond the Border"1:57
13."A Lover's Prelude"1:58
14."El Rinche"1:56
15."Vampire Battle"2:30
16."A New World"1:39
17."Labyrinth of the Mind"2:15
18."The Trial Begins"2:44
19."Cheyenne or Phoenix"1:29
20."The Pyramid and the Farewell"3:34

See also

Notes

  1. Jake Busey was listed in the title credits for the first episode of the first season in which he appeared, and was subsequently relegated to recurring cast for the remainder of the season.
  2. Although part of main cast in Season 2, Danny Trejo was credited as "special appearance".
  3. Both actors played the same character at different stages of the series, with different ages. Additionally, despite being part of the main cast, Johnson is only credited for the episodes he appears in.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rodriguez</span> American filmmaker (born 1968)

Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2.6 million against a budget of $7,000. The film spawned two sequels known collectively as the Mexico Trilogy: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

<i>From Dusk till Dawn</i> 1996 horror film

From Dusk till Dawn is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and Juliette Lewis, the plot follows a pair of American criminal brothers who take a family as hostages in order to cross into Mexico, but ultimately find themselves trapped in a saloon frequented by vampires.

Troublemaker Studios is an American production company founded and owned by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellán. The company is based in Austin, Texas and is at the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. It shares space with Austin Studios, which is managed by the Austin Film Society, and houses production offices, sound stages and the largest green screen in Texas.

<i>From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money</i> 1999 horror film

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money is an American direct-to-video Western horror film released on March 16, 1999. It is the second film in the From Dusk Till Dawn series and is a sequel to From Dusk till Dawn. The film was an early test release by Dimension Films for the direct-to-video market. It was co-written and directed by Scott Spiegel. Michael S. Murphey, Gianni Nunnari, and Meir Teper produced. Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender executive produced, and Elizabeth Avellan co-produced. The film was filmed on location in South Africa and features cameos by Bruce Campbell and Tiffani Thiessen. It won a Saturn Award from The Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films for the "Best Home Video Release" of 1999.

<i>From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangmans Daughter</i> 1999 horror film

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter is a 1999 American Western horror film directed by P. J. Pesce. It serves as a prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. It was released directly to video and was nominated at the 26th Saturn Awards for "Best Home Video Release". In late 2010, the production of a fourth film in the series was discussed, but, as of August 2012, further work on this possibility has not been revealed. A TV series adaptation was released in 2014.

<i>From Dusk Till Dawn</i> (video game) 2001 video game

From Dusk Till Dawn is a 2001 third-person shooter video game that is based on events that transpire directly after the end of From Dusk till Dawn. Released for Windows, it was distributed by Cryo Interactive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Davenport</span> American actress

Madison Davenport is an American actress, best known for her role as Kate Fuller in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. She also appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl as Kit's best friend Ruthie Smithens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Gecko</span> Fictional character

Seth Gecko is the name of two fictional characters in the From Dusk till Dawn film series. The original Seth is the protagonist of the original film, described as a cool, suave, short-fused, anti-heroic criminal in the From Dusk till Dawn universe consisting of the 1996 film and its 2001 spin-off video game of the same name. An alternate universe version of the character appears in the 2014–16 television series. He is portrayed by George Clooney in the original film and by D. J. Cotrona in the television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eiza González</span> Mexican actress and singer (born 1990)

Eiza González Reyna is a Mexican actress and singer. She gained popularity for starring in the Argentine Nickelodeon teen sitcom Sueña conmigo (2010–2011). As a singer, she released the albums Contracorriente (2009) and Te Acordarás de Mí (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Soo Hoo</span> American actor (born 1995)

Brandon Soo Hoo is an American actor and martial artist known for playing Tran in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder and for his series regular role on the Cartoon Network sketch comedy series Incredible Crew. Soo Hoo played Scott Fuller on the El Rey Network horror-drama series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, based on the film of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rodriguez filmography</span>

Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American film and television director, producer, writer, composer, cinematographer and editor. He has contributed to many projects as a combination of the six. Less commonly, Rodriguez has also worked as a second unit director, digital animator and a visual effects supervisor.

John Michael Fogelman is an American entrepreneur. He is the CEO of FactoryMade Ventures, an entertainment and media incubator. Formerly Executive Vice President and Head of the Motion Picture Department and the Intellectual Property Group at the William Morris Agency (WMA), Fogelman was a principal architect of the merger between William Morris and Endeavor Talent Agency, and served as a founding board member and an agent after the companies merged in 2009. He left William Morris Endeavor in 2011 to found FactoryMade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Cotrona</span> American actor (born 1980)

Donald Joseph Cotrona is an American actor, known for his role in the film G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and as Seth Gecko in the El Rey Network horror television series From Dusk till Dawn. He was cast as Pedro Peña in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam! and returned for the role in the 2023 sequel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Tarantino filmography</span>

Quentin Tarantino is an American filmmaker who has directed ten films. He first began his career in the 1980s by directing and writing Love Birds In Bondage and writing, directing and starring in the black-and-white My Best Friend's Birthday, a partially lost amateur short film which was never officially released. He impersonated musician Elvis Presley in a small role in the sitcom The Golden Girls (1988), and briefly appeared in Eddie Presley (1992). As an independent filmmaker, he directed, wrote, and appeared in the violent crime thriller Reservoir Dogs (1992), which tells the story of six strangers brought together for a jewelry heist. Proving to be Tarantino's breakthrough film, it was named the greatest independent film of all time by Empire. Tarantino's screenplay for Tony Scott's True Romance (1993) was nominated for a Saturn Award. Also in 1993, he served as an executive producer for Killing Zoe and wrote two other films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Rey Network</span> Television channel

El Rey Network is a media brand founded by Robert Rodriguez on December 15, 2013, that is currently owned in a joint venture with FactoryMade Ventures.

Cristina "Cris" Magno Patwa is the co-CEO of FactoryMade Ventures, a Los Angeles–based entertainment and media incubator.

<i>From Dusk till Dawn</i> (franchise) American media horror franchise created by Robert Kurtzman

From Dusk till Dawn is an American media franchise created by Robert Kurtzman, including three films, a video game and a TV series.

Maurice Compte is an American actor known for his roles as Gaff in Breaking Bad, Santiago "Big Evil" Flores in End of Watch, and as Colonel Carrillo in Narcos.

References

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  9. Littleton, Cynthia (November 15, 2013). "'From Dusk Till Dawn' Adds to Cast as El Rey Launch Nears". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
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