Elizabeth Avellan

Producer, also actor · Born November 8, 1960 (65) · Caracas, Venezuela

Elizabeth Avellán is a Producer of bold narrative diversified content. She is Co-Owner and Vice President of Troublemaker Studios. In addition to producing family and genre films that have collectively grossed over a billion and a half dollars in box office, she has played a primary role in developing Austin, Texas as a thriving film community. Avellán began her producing career when she co-founded Los Hooligans Productions in 1991 with Robert Rodriguez as the two began their feature film project "El Mariachi." Made for just $7,000, "El Mariachi," was the winner of the 1993 Audience Awards at the Sundance and Deauville Film Festivals. Over the past twenty years, she has produced such films as the "Spy Kids" franchise, "Sin City," "Predators," "Machete," "Desperado," "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" among others. Also, very excited to be producing "Spy Kids Armageddon" together with Rodriguez and their 5 children in 2022-23. Through her EYA Productions banner, she produced the holiday feature film, "Angels Sing". She also executive produced several projects including "Blacktino" that world premiered at SXSW Film Festival and "Secuestro Express" which was released by Miramax Films. Avellán is dedicated to creating opportunity for undiscovered voices while working diligently with seasoned craftsmen and established filmmakers. She is enthusiastically focused on Latina / Latino storytelling which is very dear to Elizabeth's heart. She has produced 3 independent films during the past 2 years, "The Blazing World" - premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, "Deadland" premiered at SXSW 2023, "Switch Up" premiered at SXSW 2024 with this ethos of creating opportunities for undiscovered voices and diversity among the cast and the crews. Infusing possibility in the next generation is a mission which comes naturally to Elizabeth, who is the mother of 6 children. Passionate about her adopted hometown of Austin, education and children's welfare, she is on the board and supports several organizations. Those boards include Capital Area Statues, which commissions unique statues for the capital city; ConnectHer and the ConnectHer Film Festival, whose mission is to elevate the status of women and girls everywhere; and The Austin Film Society. Avellán is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, where her grandfather, Gonzalo Veloz Mancera, was the pioneer of commercial television. At the age of thirteen, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family and later graduated from Rice University. She resides in Austin, Texas with her children.

What are Elizabeth Avellan's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Survival

26%

Morality

24%

Bonds

23%

Self

15%

Ideas

5%

Power

4%

Society

3%

Survival11 Family bonds8 Revenge7 Coming of age4 Justice4 Grief3 Friendship3 Identity3

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 3 · Wry 3 · Earnest 16

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 6 · Dark 8

Stylized

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 13

Intense

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 9 · Intense 15

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 11

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 3

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 11

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 3

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 14 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 3

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

17

Thrilling

16

Dread

6

Absurd

10

Joyful

6

Other

17

How their films linger

Fun12 Feel-good7 Haunting7 Bittersweet6 Hopeful6 Rousing4

How their films end · 6 with a twist

Happy11
Bittersweet9
Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Elizabeth Avellan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (10).

Also on these channels

Howdy1 title, show their title on Howdy
MovieSphere+1 title, show their title on MovieSphere+
PBS Documentaries1 title, show their title on PBS Documentaries
Shout! TV1 title, show their title on Shout! TV

Subscription and free streaming for Elizabeth Avellan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

35 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Switch Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Producer
Deadland(2023)
Producer
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Spy Kids: Armageddon(2023)
Producer
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
The Hip Hop Nutcracker(2022)
Director
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Wedding of a Lifetime(2022)
Director
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Blazing World(2021)
Producer
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Porvenir, Texas(2019)
Producer
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Also Starring Austin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Actor
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For(2014)
Producer
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Angels Sing(2013)
Producer
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World(2011)
Producer
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
No Way Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Executive Producer
Machete(2010)
Producer
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Predators(2010)
Producer
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Shorts(2009)
Producer · as The Baby (voice)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Death Proof(2007)
Producer
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Grindhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Producer
Planet Terror(2007)
Producer
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Curandero(2005)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D(2005)
Producer
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Sin City(2005)
Producer
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Secuestro express(2004)
Producer
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Once Upon a Time in Mexico(2003)
Producer
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Spy Kids 3: Game Over(2003)
Producer
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams(2002)
Producer
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Spy Kids(2001)
Producer
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter(1999)
Co-Producer · Producer
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money(1999)
Co-Producer
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Faculty(1998)
Producer
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
From Dusk Till Dawn(1996)
Co-Producer
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Desperado(1995)
Co-Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
El Mariachi(1992)
Associate Producer
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Pretty Good Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Animation
Armadillo United (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Producer
Don't You Go Nowhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Associate Producer

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 30 of them dated from 1991 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Spy Kids 3: Game Over (2003)

$197M worldwide

Highest rated

Sin City (2005)

Midcredits 96^th

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting2 of 32Directing2 of 32Producing28 of 32 · 38^thOther crew1 of 32

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s12 · 1 acting · 12 crew2010s6 · 1 acting · 5 crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Elizabeth Avellan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50^th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50^th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

54^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

97^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

75^th and up7
50^th to 74^th7
25^th to 49^th5
Below 25^th9

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

Universally Loved1
Universally Panned1
Divisive1
Crowd Pleaser11
Mixed14

Most divisive · director

The Hip Hop Nutcracker (2022)

94^th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Sin City (2005)

Midcredits 96^th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 25 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Elizabeth Avellan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 21 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore18 titles37–95 · median 86 · severeheavier than most films

Sex & Nudity21 titles22–74 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most films

Profanity19 titles23–88 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most films

Alcohol & Drugs17 titles21–63 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all films

Frightening / Intense18 titles34–84 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most films

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.