Despite the rash of projects that Robert Rodriguez has been associated with lately, there was still a considerable hope that Sin City 2 would see the light of day sooner rather than later due to casting rumors (Banderas. Antonio Banderas) and other assorted rumblings. But fans of the film (of which, I am not one, actually) are going to have to take it and like it this morning because Rodriguez’s partner-in-noir, Frank Miller, has confirmed that their respective new projects are going to jump the line and go into production first, despite the fact that Sin City 2 appears to be completely ready to shoot, save for a complete cast.

In talking to Rotten Tomatoes UK, Miller said that “Sin City 2 is still likely to happen…just not right away. The script is written and Robert and I are raring to go, but it looks like I’m going to be doing The Spirit first and Robert’s going to be doing Barbarella first.”

I’m actually kind of glad that Rodriguez is going to be putting in a little distance between installments, but it’s not because I wasn’t crazy about the first film. I think the guy is going through some stuff now (and by “stuff”, I do not mean Rose McGowan. You know what? Fuck it, I do) and with Grindhouse having ground to a halt financially, this might be a good time for him to step back, take a breath, do these sillier projects for outside studios where he doesn’t control everything down to the napkins offered at craft services, and then come back to the Sin City franchise recharged and ready to go. I doubt any amount of outside filmmaking will fundamentally change his perspective or skill set, but his career could use a mainstream hit or two to bolster his cult status. Hopefully, that’ll put him in a better place for part deux because the bar for digital backdrop filmmaking was raised pretty goddamn high by 300, and Rodriguez is going to have to step his game up to match it.

Not only was that a major hit, but rappers have completely co-opted the unique look of Sin City for a number of videos and mixtape covers, the worst being the new Timbaland video featuring a bunch of WWE wrestling chicks. It’s kinda become part of "urban" canon like Scarface or Carlito’s Way, and that just makes it all the more generic. By the time, the second installment actually rolls around, the digital film landscape will be quite different, and I’m not sure if Rodriguez will keep up. Here’s hoping.