Danny Trejo Talks MACHETE. Could the Sequels be Called MACHETE KILLS and MACHETE KILLS AGAIN?

The other day I got to talk with Danny Trejo on the set of Predators along with a number of other online journalists.  While we are embargoed from talking about Predators, we’re allowed to cover other projects.

As most of you know, Danny recently shot Machete with director Robert Rodriguez.  The film is based on the trailer that was featured in Grindhouse and it’s loaded with an all star cast like Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, and Rose McGowan.

So when we talked to him about Machete, he talked about what it was like to work with such an all star cast and he confirmed the rumors that it might be getting released this April.  Also, when we asked him if Machete was a one off or did he think there could be sequels, Trejo replied, “we want Machete, Machete Kills, and Machete Kills Again.  Every time I text him, he’ll text me back, Machete 2, coming up.”  While those titles might be jokes between Trejo and  Rodriguez, I kind of like them and hope they’re real.

Hit the jump for everything he said on Machete.

Can we just call you Machete from now on?

Danny Trejo: [Laughs] That’s what they’re calling me.

I just want to know. So if I see you at Ralphs, I can just call you “Machete”?

Trejo:  Everybody else does. [Laughs]

I just want to make sure.

Trejo:  Everybody either asks me when Machete is coming out or is it done? It’s coming out in April, I think.

What can you tell us about “Machete”?

Trejo:  Well uh…Machete kicks ass.  It is a culmination of Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico…there’s even a little bit of From Dusk ‘Til Dawn in there.  I think it’s gonna be one of his best.  And I’m not just saying that cause I’m the lead, it’s just a great movie.  I think everybody’s gonna walk away from that movie with some opinion.  It’s a battle for our border, you know? People are really serious about what’s going on with the border, and it shows the negative side of both sides.  Not just, we want everybody to cross or we don’t want anybody to cross.  It shows the negative side of both sides.  Everybody’s gonna be pissed off.

Is the look of the movie anything like the trailer was in Grindhouse, with the raw quality of the print?

Trejo:  Yes Grindhouse. I love that. Get a bag of popcorn and just sit and watch and you go back to the 1960s.

Robert put together such a great cast. What’s it like working with Robert De Niro, and then Steven Seagal, or Lindsay Lohan or some of these great people they put together in the movie?

Trejo:  When I first saw Robert De Niro on the set, he came up and his first words to me were, “Don’t leave me like this, homes.” You know, that was my line in Heat. And I kind of laughed and he said, “Man, Danny, I’m really proud of you. You’re the lead. This is it, this is you.” And I looked him right in the eyes and I said, “Can I get you some coffee, Mr. De Niro?” [Laughter] You know, cause that’s the guy. I couldn’t believe that Robert got De Niro. And then Jessica Alba, you know? And Lindsay Lohan. And Michelle Rodriguez, and Jeff Fahey, and Steven Seagal, and Cheech Marin. It just goes on and on. It was really hard like not just giggling, you know?  I mean, when you’re working, just not giggling. You know, come on, grow up. But it was amazing, and that cast was amazing.

With Machete, do you think that this is something that you guys future movies on, or do you think it was like a one-off?

Trejo:  We want Machete, Machete Kills, and Machete Kills Again. [Laughter] That’s mine and Robert’s standards, you know? Every time I text him, he’ll text me back, Machete 2, coming up. [Laughs]