Danny Trejo (Machete, Sons of Anarchy) will host the upcoming El Rey Network original unscripted series “Man at Arms.” The eight-part series will premiere on the network in early June 2017. As host of “Man at Arms”, Trejo will introduce each episode, preside over the expert roundtable of builders, historians and martial artists and participate in the weapons testing phase to see how much destruction they can cause.
“Who better to host a show celebrating iconic weapons in pop culture than ‘Machete’ himself, Danny Trejo?” asked El Rey Network president and G.M. Daniel Tibbets. “Danny is a longtime friend of our founder, Robert Rodriguez and also of El Rey Network. He brings the right mix of mentorship, humor and knowledge to ‘Man at Arms’.”
El Rey Network will bring the popular and celebrated digital series, “Man at Arms” to television in a co-production deal with DEFY Media, the studio that created “Man at Arms”. Iconic weapons and armor have played a starring role in some of the most memorable scenes in movie history and can be found throughout pop culture, from movies to video games to comics to TV shows. In each episode of “Man at Arms”, a team of expert craftsmen skillfully reproduce famed weapons and armor from scratch, using both the technology that would have been available at the time such weapons and armor were originally created, as well as state-of-the-art technologies beyond the original forgers’ wildest imaginations, to create historical, modern, and mythological works of martial art. Each masterwork is then tested by experts for its strength and real-world functionality. Whether it slices, shoots, smashes, stabs, blocks, parries, or disarms, viewers will get a first-hand look at what kind of force each marvelous masterpiece can unleash. DEFY Media’s award-winning digital series, which recently celebrated its 100th episode, consistently averages over 1.5MM views per episode and has built a vast and passionate fan community.
“Man at Arms” is produced by DEFY, led by heads of Television/OTT Production and Development Jared Hoffman and Chris Pollack, Chief Content Officer Barry Blumberg, and El Rey Network. Hoffman and Pollack serve as series executive producers and showrunners. Blumberg will also serve as an executive producer.
About Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo has developed a prolific career in the entertainment industry with a hard-earned and atypical road to success. From years of imprisonment to helping youth battle drug addictions, from acting to producing, and now on to restaurant ventures, Trejo’s name, face, and achievements are well recognized in Hollywood and beyond. Over the last 30 years, he has appeared in hundreds of film and TV shows. He previously appeared on El Rey Network when he reunited with Robert Rodriguez for season two of From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. Danny’s other recent television work includes recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy and King of the Hill and has appeared on episodes of Modern Family and Breaking Bad among others. He has also appeared in such major releases as Desperado (1995), Heat (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Anaconda (1997), Con Air (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998) Grindhouse (2007), Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007), Urban Justice (2007), Valley of Angels (2008), Machete (2010), Predators (2010), and Range15 (2016). Trejo recently finished shooting Dead Again In Tombstone, the sequel to Dead In Tombstone, for Universal. Last year he opened the flagship restaurant of Trejo’s Tacos in the Mid-Wilshire area in Los Angeles and the second location Trejo’s Cantina in the Hollywood area. Danny’s newest culinary endeavor, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts is set to open this Spring. Despite Danny’s impressive list of credits, it’s his continuous roles as a devoted father of three and an intervention counselor that bring him the most satisfaction.
About DEFY Media
DEFY Media is the top digital producer and programmer for 13-34 year olds, and the largest owner of YouTube channels and leading media brands across the comedy, lifestyle and gaming verticals. Each month, DEFY-produced content generates 800 million video views and reaches 125 million viewers across our 70 million YouTube subscribers, 80 million unique web visitors and consumers of our apps, which have been downloaded over 25 million times. DEFY Media brands include Smosh, recently named by Variety as the top brand for 13-17 year olds, Break, known for its top program “Prank It Forward”™, and Screen Junkies, home to the highly influential Emmy-nominated digital series “Honest Trailers”. The world’s top brands partner with DEFY to build immersive advertising solutions that deliver unparalleled access to this influential audience. With uniquely integrated capabilities in content development, studio production, distribution and promotion, DEFY Media is built for content delivery in the digital age. Please visit us at www.DEFYMedia.com.
About El Rey Network
El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting “Strivers,” viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy. Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today’s America. El Rey’s slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series,” the one-on-one interview program “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” and “Lucha Underground,” a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett. El Rey Network’s lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.