Donald Glover And Maya Erskine Go From Spies To Lovers In The New Mr. And Mrs. Smith Trailer
It's been nearly 20 years since Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie lit up the screen as John and Jane Smith, a longtime couple whose love life has lost its fizzle when they discover they're both secretly spies/assassins from rival agencies that have been tasked with killing the other. (We've all been there, haven't we folks?) Wisely, rather than trying to bottle sexy lightning twice, the creatives behind the upcoming "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" TV show have opted for an entirely different approach to the original.
Developed by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" series was initially set to reunite Glover with his "Solo: A Star Wars Story" co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge before creative differences led to the latter departing the project (but with the "Atlanta" and "Fleabag" creators still on friendly terms). However, as enticing — and hot — as the Glover-Waller-Bridge pairing read on paper, the show has found what appears to be the perfect replacement in "PEN15" co-creator and star Maya Erskine, who brings a wholly different funny-sexy vibe to the table, but also one that appears to mesh seamlessly with Glover's comedic sensibilities. You can get a taste of that by checking out the show's full-length trailer (see above).
A fresh spin on the hit action rom-com
Where the titular duo was married in the original film, the TV version of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" introduces John (Glover) and Jane (Erskine) as two strangers employed by the same enigmatic spy agency who are tasked with carrying out weekly missions under the cover of being a newly-hitched couple. It's a fresh spin on the movie's action rom-com formula, forcing John and Jane to navigate the pitfalls of their precarious occupation (like figuring out how to swiftly dispose of a corpse in a bathtub — It seems these two haven't watched "Breaking Bad") all while slowly, and more than a little reluctantly, falling in love with one another for real.
With a little luck, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" itself will join "Fargo" and "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" on the growing list of TV series that find a way to build upon the themes and ideas from the movies (and, in the case of "Scott Pilgrim," comic books) that inspired them without simply rehashing what's come before. Helping the cause is a pretty spectacular supporting cast that includes Sarah Paulson, John Turturro, Michaela Coel, Ron Perlman, Eiza González, Paul Dano, Alexander Skarsgård, Wagner Moura, and newly-announced "The White Lotus" season 3 star Parker Posey, among others.
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" begins streaming on Prime Video on February 2, 2024.