The long-gestating TV version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith has released a bevy of new details to prove once and for all that this show is really happening. The project, a TV adaptation of the film that gave us Brangelina, was announced in February 2021, with a silhouette-challenge TikTok (to give a sense of how much has happened since). Originally starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Donald Glover, the show was also supposed to be co-created by the two. But then Waller-Bridge nope’d out, allegedly due to creative differences. Atlanta producer Francesca Sloane signed on as co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the series, and Maya Erskine took over the co-starring role. For two years, it felt like the show was in development purgatory, unable to reach the promised land of a premiere date or the release of getting cut from the release calendar. But no longer. We can now confirm that Mr. & Mrs. Smith (normie version) will arrive to the Prime Video account that you mooch from your ex, unbeknownst to them, at the beginning of 2024. So, here’s all the details you need to know.
What’s the trailer giving?
Couples therapy. It appears Mr. and Mrs. Smith, played by Glover and Erskine, have marital issues. The spies, who entered an arranged marriage to secure a career in espionage, balance globe-trotting assignments that take them on murderous adventures. So obviously, there’s something off about their relationship. “I should be clear,†Mrs. Smith says, “I’m not in this for the romance.†That’s too bad. If you have a near-death experience with your colleague/fake husband every week while snowmobiling down mountains or sailing on a lake in Switzerland, you’re bound to develop feelings.
Okay, but what’s the plot?
It’s practically the opposite of the original Mr. & Mrs. Smith. This time, the main characters entered an arranged marriage knowing that they’re in for a life of espionage, instead of getting married as a cover and finding out about their real jobs after the fact. “Two lonely strangers land a job working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travels and a dream brownstone in Manhattan,†reads the official synopsis. “The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. & 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?â€
Does the cast match up to Brangelina?
I would say the totality of the cast has the same star power as the former couple. Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You), Paul Dano (The Batman), and John Turturro (getting pissed on by a Transformer, also Barton Fink) star alongside Glover and Erskine. The show has managed to up the “delightful and often intentionally off-putting†star quota even more by adding the indelible Parker Posey to the project in a recurring role, according to Variety. Also in the cast list is Wagner Moura of Narcos fame, and we know he looks good carrying a gun. Plus, you can expect Alexander Skarsgård (Infinity Pool), Eiza González (Ambulance), Sarah Paulson (Ratched), Sharon Horgan (Best Interests), Ron Perlman (Poker Face), Billy Campbell (FBI), and Úrsula Corberó (Snake Eyes).
Variety reports that Coel, Dano, and Turturro are in guest-starring roles, which indicates they could be a target for the Smith family to eliminate. Posey and Moura, on the other hand, are recurring, which means we will hopefully have as many chances as possible to see Posey’s weird and delightful energy.
Release date when?
Mr. & Mrs. Smith hits Prime Video on February 2, 2024.