AUSTIN, Texas – Walking into Troublemaker Studios is like entering a small country. The sprawling space, which used to be an airport, is now the home of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s production company.

Since 2001, Rodriguez has used Troublemaker Studios to bring his projects to life, including the Spy Kids series (2001-2003), Predators (2010), Machete (2010) and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014). The facility serves many functions, allowing Rodriguez’s team to do almost everything in-house, with little outside help from the showbiz industry.

“From the smallest of coins to the coolest of swords, to spaceships and helicopters, everything is made here,” says assistant studio manager Nixon Guerrero, while standing in front of the largest green screen in Texas. “I’m not kidding. We do everything here. It’s anti-Hollywood, as we say.”

Most recently, Troublemaker Studios served as the home for production on the second season of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, which hits Netflix on Aug. 26. Developed by Rodriguez and based on the premise of his 1996 vampire cult film, the supernatural crime saga delves deeper into the character relationships and Mesoamerican mythology of the movie.

Episodes for the second season will become available on the streaming service once a week, after they first air in the U.S. on Rodriguez’s El Rey Network. So, unlike most shows on Netflix, you won’t be able to binge this one unless you wait until all of the episodes have already aired on El Rey.

Here’s what we learned about the series during a recent visit to Troublemaker Studios in Austin:

SEASON TWO TAKES THE STORY IN NEW DIRECTIONS: The first season elaborated on the plot that viewers knew from the original film, following what happens when bank-robbing brothers Seth and Richie Gecko (D.J. Cotrona and Zane Holtz), on the run from authorities and eager to meet their contact in Mexico, find themselves at an isolated strip club populated by vampires. The second season, which isn’t connected to the storyline of the straight-to-DVD movie sequels, sees the characters split up in different locations – with Richie and vampire queen Santanico Pandemonium (Eiza Gonzalez) living like Bonnie and Clyde outside Houston, and Seth and Kate Fuller (Madison Davenport) trying to stay safe in Mexico. “This whole season is figuring out what to do when you’ve been to hell and back,” says Davenport. “Now that you know that there are vampires in the world, you really can’t go back from that.”

QUENTIN TARANTINO IS WEIGHING IN: Tarantino, who starred in the original film and wrote the script for it, has been sending Rodriguez comments and critiques during the show’s production. “Quentin’s sitting there at home watching it, texting Robert, ‘Hey dude, I love this,’” says Davenport.

“You’re like, oh my god, he’s sitting there watching me, and I have to go back and act. I’m going to have this goofy smile on my face now.” But George Clooney, Tarantino’s co-star in the movie, hasn’t commented on the series yet. “We haven’t heard anything,” says Cotrona, adding that the A-list star is probably pretty busy these days. “I think he’s got a bit of a career now.”

RODRIGUEZ WORKS FAST: “When Robert’s shooting, there’s a whole different pace,” says Jesse Garcia, who plays Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez. “He knows what he wants already. Everyone has to keep up with him.”

Along with Rodriguez’s rapid style – described as “working at the speed of thought” by Guerrero – he also creates a fun atmosphere by bringing a guitar to set and starting sing-alongs with cast members.

WILMER VALDERRAMA IS THE MAN: During this production, Valderrama is definitely the guy with the most swagger. Looking much different than his days as Fez in That ‘70s Show, Valderrama portrays drug lord Carlos Madrigal, and brings a sense of levity to Troublemaker Studios. At two different moments during our visit, he was able to walk into a room and elevate everyone’s mood – randomly jumping into interviews with other castmembers and making them laugh, or stepping onto the set, clapping his hands and exclaiming, “Okay, let’s make some movies, baby!” The actor’s girlfriend, pop star Demi Lovato, will be making an appearance at some point during the season.

TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS PAYS TRIBUTE TO PREVIOUS FILMS: References to Rodriguez’s work are scattered through the facility, making it feel like a museum. Walking through the halls, you’ll notice the famous guitar from Desperado (1995), the outfits from the Spy Kids series, and the iconic final image from the ending of the original From Dusk Till Dawn film. Cotrona says he initially felt intimidated by all of the famous props, but he’s calmed down during production of the second season. “When I come here, I don’t feel any sense of apprehension anymore,” he says. “I just feel excited. This is a sandbox, where we all jump in together and try to make the coolest stuff.”

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