The series' plot tells the continuing story of El Mariachi, a man who painfully lives alone after seeing all of his loved ones die.

[2][5] It was so well received that they eventually chose to finance the second part of the trilogy, Desperado,[6] and subsequently the final chapter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Troubled locals mistake him for a recently escaped convict who has been hunting down his former associates, and killing them with weapons carried in his guitar case.

[7] Filming took place in Mexico with Iván Arana as the lead and Martha Higareda and Julio Brancho in supporting roles.

[9] El Mariachi ran for one season consisting of 71 episodes—airing on MundoFox in the United States and MBC Action in the Middle East.

All three films were made using Rodriguez's "Mariachi-style" of filmmaking in which (according to the back cover of his book Rebel Without a Crew) "creativity, not money, is used to solve problems."

[16] Once Upon a Time in Mexico won two Imagen Foundation Awards for performances by Antonio Banderas and Rubén Blades.