Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2 million against a budget of $7,000. The film spawned two sequels known collectively as the Mexico Trilogy: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He directed From Dusk till Dawn in 1996 and developed its television adaptation series (2014–present). He is a friend and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who founded the production company A Band Apart, which Rodriguez was a member of. In December 2013, Rodriguez launched his own cable television channel, El Rey Network.