Turned down directing Alien Resurrection (1997).

In the late nineties he was under consideration to direct a film version of Doom (1993).

Partner is actress Carolina Bang.

President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2009-2011).

Turned down directing The Crow: Salvation (2000).

Worked in a film about Sax Rohmer's character Fu Manchu with screenwriters Jorge Guerricaechevarría and David Newman but the project was canceled due budgetary problems.

He was a guest of Belgrade Film Festival - FEST 2005.

Has 4 daughters. Rebeca (b. January 2002) and Claudia (b. October 2004) with his first wife, Amaya Díez, and Julia (b. November 29 2016) and Daniela (b. May 23 2018) with his second wife, Carolina Bang.