The Lost Finale: What Happened to Danny Trejo’s Machete Trilogy?
Remember the mid-2000s? Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino released their double-feature passion project, Grindhouse. Tucked between the main films were a handful of fake trailers for gloriously cheesy movies. But one of those trailers felt a little too real, a little too perfect. That trailer was for Machete, and it starred the legendary character actor Danny Trejo.
Fans went wild. They didn’t just want to see that movie; they needed to see it. And in 2010, they got their wish.
Machete was everything we hoped for: a bloody, over-the-top, and ridiculously fun action flick that finally put Danny Trejo in the leading role he had earned after decades of playing tough guys. It was a hit! It was so successful that it got a sequel, Machete Kills, which ended with a teaser for the most insane finale imaginable: Machete Kills Again… In Space.
But that was back in 2013. More than a decade has passed, and we’re still stuck on Earth. So, what happened? Why did Machete’s spaceship never leave the launchpad?
From a Sure Bet to a Box Office Dud
The first Machete film was a perfect storm. It was made on a relatively small budget and made its money back several times over. It knew exactly what it was—a throwback action movie—and audiences loved it for that. A sequel seemed like a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, lightning didn’t quite strike twice.
Where It All Went Wrong
When Machete Kills arrived in 2013, the excitement just wasn’t the same. The movie went even bigger, with a wilder plot and a crazier cast (including Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen). But for some reason, it didn’t connect.
Here’s the hard truth:
- The sequel was a box office bomb. It cost more to make than the first film but earned significantly less money worldwide. In Hollywood, that’s the kiss of death for any future installments.
- The joke might have worn thin. The “grindhouse” style was a fresh novelty with the first film, but the second time around, some felt it was just more of the same.
When a movie loses money, studios get very nervous about funding an even more expensive sequel, especially one set in space, which would require a much bigger budget for special effects.
Has Too Much Time Passed?
Let’s be honest, a lot has changed since 2013. The movie landscape is different, and the key players have moved on to other things.
Danny Trejo is an absolute legend, and he’s still working constantly. But he’s in his late 70s, and a full-blown space action movie is a massive physical undertaking for any actor. While he could definitely still pull off the attitude, the demands of filming such a movie are immense.
Director Robert Rodriguez has also been incredibly busy. He’s been directing major projects like Alita: Battle Angel and episodes of huge Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. His focus has clearly shifted toward massive, billion-dollar properties.
It feels like the cultural moment for a gritty, low-fi movie like Machete Kills Again… In Space may have passed.
A Legend in Its Own Right
Maybe there’s a silver lining here. The fact that the movie was never made has turned it into a myth. It’s one of Hollywood’s great “what if” stories. We can all imagine our own perfect version of Machete fighting bad guys with a laser-machete on a space station, and maybe that’s better than any real movie could ever be.
The first film achieved something incredible: it gave Danny Trejo the spotlight and cemented him not just as a great character actor, but as a true leading man. The trilogy was never finished, but the mission was already accomplished.
So, while we may never see that final chapter, the legend of Machete will live on forever. But I have to ask: do you still hold out hope for Machete Kills Again… In Space, or is it better left as a fan’s dream?