Rodriguez announces Machete sequel

San Diego - Robert Rodriguez waited until Comic-Con to announce that he's planning sequels to Sin City and Machete.

He says a script for Sin City 2 is being refined, and he hopes for two sequels to last year's Machete - at least one of which will bring the blade-slinging star into space.

"Even if we don't get to three, I'm at least making the trailer for three because it's so good. I would put it even before part two," Rodriguez said. "Machete goes into space! It's like Moonraker."

The 43-year-old filmmaker made the announcements on Thursday in front of 6 500 fans at the San Diego Convention Centre, then celebrated the news at an intimate party at the Hard Rock Hotel across the street.

Smell-o-vision

He also discussed his latest film, Spy Kids 4, which is set to release in 4D next month.

Playing in both 2D and 3D, the fourth dimension is "smell-o-vision". Rodriguez explained that moviegoers will receive a card when they come into the theatre that has eight numbers on it that hold scents that correspond with the film.

"When a number flashes on screen, you scratch that number and you smell it, and whatever they're smelling on screen, you smell in the audience," he said. "There's sweet smells and bad smells - because we have a baby and we have a dog - and it's really fun."

Full plate

Rodriguez also announced three new partnerships: He plans to develop games and movies with the Heavy Metal franchise, create a museum and other media around the fantasy artwork of Frank Frazetta and inspire computer hardware for filmmaking with the tech company AMD.

He says a full plate makes him more productive: "You get more done when you're busy. It almost helps you focus on something more when you don't have too much time to over think it."

Rodriguez said he kept these announcements quiet until Comic-Con out of his natural identification with pop-culture fans.

Said the Comic-Con veteran: "If I'm standing in line all that time, I want to hear something good."