There’s no need to relive the same old entertainment this Groundhog Day, because Prime has a brand new offering (without any time loops involved). “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” an action-comedy series based on the plot of the original 1941 film, brings a new twist to the classic tale of espionage and high-stakes hijinks. All eight episodes of the series’ debut season release Friday, Feb. 2, on Prime Video.
While the titular, married Smiths are likely to conjure the image of former real-life couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, both of whom starred in the 2005 film of the same name, the “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” concept is, in fact, a much older production, one directed by famed filmmaker and so-called “Master of Suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock. The director — then not yet known for his 1960 masterpiece “Psycho” nor his other many memorable films, which include “The Birds” (1963), “Rear Window” (1954) and “Vertigo” (1958) — became very well known for his gripping thriller style, but he also had a penchant for comedy, as was evident in several of his films, such as 1938’s “The Lady Vanishes” and, yes, the 1941 spy comedy “Mr. & Mr. Smith,” led by Carole Lombard (“My Man Godfrey,” 1936) and Robert Montgomery (“Lady in the Lake,” 1946).
Since Hitchcock’s premiere of the now-classic tale, several other takes on the cat-and-mouse spy game have been born. This newest series iteration of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” stars the multi-talented rapper, writer, actor and producer Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) as a suave new spy who must assume the identity of “John Smith,” a standard, unassuming, run-of-the-mill husband to his wife, “Jane,” also a new hire by the same spy agency, played by three-time Emmy nominee Maya Erskine (“PEN15”).
First announced in February 2021, the eight-episode series was originally designed to include “Fleabag’s” Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the titular missus. But, due to some conflicts on the creative side, Waller-Bridge stepped away from the series, and Prime’s new series was born with Erskine as co-pilot.
Glover, meanwhile, who signed an exclusive deal with Amazon in 2021, takes his usual stance with respect to the series and has become involved both on camera and behind it. In addition to starring as the mysterious John Smith, Glover also co-created the series with “Atlanta” and “Fargo” writer Francesca Sloane.
Alongside Glover and Erskine, Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine,” 2006), John Turturro (“Barton Fink,” 1991) and Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) are listed among the show’s big names as well. Dontae Hawkins (“Wu-Tang: An American Saga”), Alex Huynh (“The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” 2022) and Tamara Torres (“Orange Is the New Black”) are also credited among the cast, while Ron Perlman (“Hellboy,” 2004), Alexander Skarsgard (“Succession”), Sharon Horgan (“Bad Sisters”), Úrsula Corberó (“Money Heist”), Eiza González (“Baby Driver,” 2017) and Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story: Coven”) are all credited as guest stars or cameos.
The series is described by “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005) writer Simon Kinberg as “’Married... with Children’ with guns,” but the official Prime Video synopsis provides a much clearer picture of what writers have planned for the series, including budding romance, prime real estate and plenty of situational comedy.
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