Things are about to get a little Ugly for Robert Rodriguez…

The 48-year-old Mexican American filmmaker will direct STX Entertainment’s animated Ugly Dolls, based on the children’s toys, which the company has long planned as the film to launch its family and animation division.

The movie will be released on May 10, 2019.

The dolls were created by David Horvath via his company Pretty Ugly LLC and have taken off in popularity in Asia.

Rodriguez, now better known for darker films like Sin City, El Mariachi, Desperado, Machete and From Dusk Till Dawn, was the creative force behind the big-screen family-friendly Spy Kids franchise.  

He’s known for pushing the envelope and trying new techniques whether its the graphic novel-like animation/live-action of Sin City or the digital eye candy of Spy Kids. He also did The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl in 3D back in 2005.

Rodriguez actually started out as a cartoonist and had a comic strip called Los Hooligans for his high school newspaper, the Daily Texan at St. Anthony’s in Austin. He also drew political cartoons and then started making short films.

Rodriguez, as previously reported, will direct 20th Century Fox’s Escape From New York, the remake of John Carpenter’s 1981 film.