Current:Home > InvestDonald Glover says fans will be 'shocked' by 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' TV series -Mastery Money Tools
Donald Glover says fans will be 'shocked' by 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' TV series
View
Date:2025-04-18 07:52:03
Donald Glover knows he's no Brad Pitt, and in his new "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" series, he's not trying to be.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor and show's co-creator talks about the moody new show that is "going to be different for a lot of people."
The eight-episode series, to premiere early next year on Amazon Prime Video, stars Glover opposite "Pen15" star Maya Erskine. The "Atlanta" actor said he's hoping for strong reactions to the series.
"You can always go back and watch the old one, but this one gives you a different feeling. People are definitely going to be shocked," he said. "I just know how much people love the other one. So if everybody's like, 'Eh,' we didn't do a good job.
"I hope some people are like, 'This is better than the original,' and some people are like, 'This is far worse,'" he continued.
Co-created by Glover and "Atlanta" writer Francesca Sloane, the series follows Glover and Erskine as the titular spy couple, originally played by Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the 2005 film of the same name.
'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' show plot: Couple now strangers in arranged spy marriage
The plot in the reboot is completely different, and takes a deeper approach to the spy thriller.
In the film, the married couple realize they're both spies working for rival agencies and have been hired to kill each other. In the show, two lonely strangers sign up for a mysterious spy agency, unaware their new identities would be as a married couple.
The arranged marriage of sorts is tested while on high-stakes missions throughout the series.
"I had never seen the movie, which I know was sacrilege," Glover told the outlet, adding that he decided to check it out after a producer friend acquired the rights. "I watched it and honestly, I was like, 'I don't understand it.' I mean, I get why it's iconic because of the people starring in it — it's just two gorgeous people in this situation. But the story I didn't quite understand. I called my brother and he was like, 'This is just a great date movie. It's boys vs. girls. What else do you want?'"
Glover said he wanted a deeper approach to the show, about marriage and relationships.
"Why do people even get married anymore? Half of it ends in divorce — what's the purpose?" Glover said. "Let's make a show dealing with relationships, but from this point of view, centering more on really what a marriage is and trust and teamwork and loneliness and all that stuff. I just wanted it to be something that spoke to people right now because in a time of abundance, why do we feel lonely?"
'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' show makes iconic spy couple more relatable
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was originally set to play Mrs. Smith and serve as an executive producer before she exited the role for "creative differences."
With Erskine now in the role, she told the publication that she jumped at the chance to play a more relatable version of Jolie's character.
"I tend to play characters that feel like rejects of society, and my Jane felt like it was the reject version of Angelina Jolie," she said. "Angelina and Brad are untouchable in that you can't recreate that, and Donald and I are just so different so it felt exciting to play a couple that you might recognize as your friends or yourselves."
But Erskine emphasizes that the show is still very much a spy thriller.
"You get your cake and you get to eat it too, because you get the explosions, the chases, the fight scenes and the sex, but you also get to see the nuances of a relationship, with the fart jokes and what it's like to live with somebody and be annoyed by their mouth noises after being together for six months," she said.
Glover has apparently been watching "The Golden Bachelor," too, comparing the "Smith" reboot to the reality show.
"You watch 'The Golden Bachelor,' and it's such a different show than the regular ('Bachelor') — you actually care about these people, and because they're older, it feels like this may not happen again," he said. "Sorry, I watched 'The Golden Bachelor' last night so it's top of mind, but you hear what I'm saying. It's really about their relationship and can they trust each other? That's all spying is."
How to watch 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' on Amazon Prime Video
All eight episodes of Mr. & Mrs. Smith debut on Feb. 2, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video.
veryGood! (871)
Related
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Green Day will headline United Nations-backed global climate concert in San Francisco
- SportsCenter anchor John Anderson to leave ESPN this spring
- Down ACC? Think again. Conference reminding all it's still the king of March Madness.
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, E.T.
- Guatemala's president says U.S. should invest more to deter migration
- Home Depot buying supplier to professional contractors in a deal valued at about $18.25B
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- This is Urban Outfitters' Best Extra 40% Off Sale Yet: $3 Cardigans, $18 Hoodies & More
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs in Kentucky
- How to get rid of eye bags, according to dermatologists
- Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Potential Changes to Alternate-Fuel Standards Could Hike Gas Prices in California. Critics See a ‘Regressive Tax’ on Low-Income Communities
- Riley Strain Case: Family Orders Second Autopsy After Discovery
- Winning ticket for massive Mega Millions jackpot sold at Neptune Township, New Jersey liquor store
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Under threat of a splintering base, Obama and Clinton bring star power to rally Dems for Biden
Baltimore bridge collapse and coping with gephyrophobia. The fear is more common than you think.
'Shirley': Who plays Shirley Chisholm and other politicians in popular new Netflix film?
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
Underage teen workers did 'oppressive child labor' for Tennessee parts supplier, feds say
Down ACC? Think again. Conference reminding all it's still the king of March Madness.
Tank complex that leaked, polluting Pearl Harbor's drinking water has been emptied, military says