I don’t remember much about the 2005 action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, other than the fact that I did watch it; I do remember that part. Like so many spy romps, I think the fact that it ended up being a schlock-fest and packed with so many lazy tropes and generally weak acting are why I found it so forgettable — something that, at the same time, I suspect will not be a problem at all for Prime Video’s upcoming remake of the movie, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as sexy rival spies.
Prime Video’s stab at Mr. & Mrs. Smith will actually come in the form of an eight-episode TV series, debuting on February 2, and the streamer has just released a first trailer that you can check out at the bottom of this post.
Its showrunner, by the way, is Francesca Sloane, whose previous credits include working as a writer on Glover’s sublimely great FX series Atlanta.
What it’s about: “In this version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” explains the official Prime Video synopsis, “two lonely strangers land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travel, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan. The catch? New identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith.
“Now hitched, John and Jane navigate a high-risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone. Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier: Espionage or marriage?”
Who’s in it: The star-studded cast includes, besides Glover and Erskine: Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Sarah Paulson, Sharon Horgan, Ron Perlman, Úrsula Corberó, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Parker Posey, and Wagner Moura.
From the glamour that comes with being globe-trotting spies to the pulse-pounding gunfights and banter between characters (“Have you ever killed anyone?” … “No, no — not really”), the show looks so fun that I feel confident in predicting my list of favorite streaming spy series is about to get a little longer.
