In a world where espionage and action-packed adventures never seem to go out of style, Prime Video is bringing back a beloved classic with a fresh twist. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the iconic 2005 film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is getting a reboot, and this time, it’s all about relatability.
Entertainment Weekly recently released exclusive images from the upcoming series featuring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as the titular characters. Gone are the days of superhumanly gorgeous deities molded by God into chic perfection; instead, meet two ordinary people living with bunions. Yes, you read that right – bunions! It seems that the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith is taking a more down-to-earth approach, focusing on characters audiences can truly identify with.
According to co-creator and star Donald Glover, the goal wasn’t to recreate Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s movie. In fact, he hopes people hate the new version – well, not exactly hate it, but he does want to stir up some strong emotions. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Glover expressed his desire for people to feel something, whether positive or negative, indicating that a lukewarm reception would suggest they hadn’t done their job properly.
So, what sets this iteration apart? For starters, the plot takes a different direction. Unlike the movie, which centers on a married couple discovering they’re both spies working for rival agencies, the series follows two lonely individuals who unwittingly become a married couple when they sign up for a secretive spy agency. As they embark on dangerous missions side by side, they must navigate their fake marriage while confronting their actual feelings for each other. Think less glamorous Hollywood power couple, more awkward office colleagues thrust into life-or-death situations.
Glover and Erskine’s characters won’t be sporting designer suits and effortlessly dispatching enemies like their predecessors. According to the show’s logline, they’ll grapple with “the challenges of married life, including annoying personal habits, differing political views, and a general sense of restlessness.” Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because these Mr. & Mrs. Smith are meant to resemble our imperfect selves – flaws, quirks, and all.
Francesca Sloane, another co-creator of the series, emphasizes that the focus lies not on explosive action sequences, but rather on character development. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she shared, “One thing we talked about early on was how we wanted to avoid making a show that felt like an endless sequence of cool people doing cool stuff. We wanted to ground it in character work and relationship building.”
David Lee / Prime Video
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’
Furthermore, the showrunners aim to subvert expectations surrounding gender roles within the spy genre. Traditionally, female characters often find themselves relegated to passive, supportive positions or reduced to mere eye candy. Not so here. Both leads are active participants in the narrative, equally contributing to the success (or failure) of their missions. Their partnership becomes a crucial aspect of the story, highlighting the importance of collaboration and communication in relationships.
Maya Erskine, known for her roles in Man Seeking Woman and Pen15, brings a unique energy to the table. Her character, unlike Angelina Jolie’s infamously lithe and deadly assassin, comes across as more relatable – someone you might encounter in everyday life. When asked about stepping into such an iconic role, Erskine acknowledged the pressure but also recognized the opportunity to create something distinct. In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, she said, “I think there’s something really exciting about playing a character that people already have an idea of, and then being able to flip that on its head and surprise them.”
For fans worried about the lack of adrenaline-fueled action, fear not – the series promises plenty of suspenseful moments. However, those scenes will share the spotlight with deeper explorations of loneliness, intimacy, and identity. Co-creator and executive producer Stephen Glover (also Donald’s brother) teased, “There’s still big