When Doug Liman’s comedic spy-versus-spy caper hit theaters on June 7, 2005, it was preceded by a great deal of publicity concerning the romance between stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Possibly fueled by that curiosity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith went on to gross $487 million worldwide, nearly $800 million today. Considering those numbers, it’s fairly impressive that the film never spawned a sequel or reboot — until now.
That’s all about to change with the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith series, a reimagining by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover for Amazon Prime. Glover will take over Pitt’s role while Maya Erskine will succeed Jolie.
Liman’s movie is often ridiculously fun, the stuff of summer popcorn fare. Yet it also suffers from uneven pacing and a lack of any tangible villain. Just as the story kicks into gear, with the titular couple coming together to defeat a common foe, it ends. Thus, the picture feels like the set-up to a sequel we never got.
The Amazon series, if executed properly, promises to keep the silly antics of the spy-on-spy premise while also giving Erskine and Glover a chance to show off their skills as a functional married couple that executes hordes of hitmen. What’s more, the episodic structure will no doubt afford the story a wider variety of locations and characters, with major stars like Parker Posey, John Turturro, and Sarah Paulson joining the show for guest spots in the first season.
Join EW as we run down the cast of Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith series.
Brad Pitt and Donald Glover (John Smith)
Pitt was in the midst of his (admittedly lengthy) hot streak when he originated the role of John Smith. He had just come off of box office hits Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve (2001, 2004) and Troy (2004) when he took on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. His star only continued to rise from there, with a string of Oscar darlings like The Departed (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Moneyball (2012), and numerous other successes. His personal life, especially his marriage and divorce with Smith costar Angelina Jolie, has also remained a tabloid fixture.
Before succeeding Pitt as the second actor to play Mr. Smith, Donald Glover carved out a name for himself as one of the most varied and talented voices in his industry. He broke out as a writer for 30 Rock and star of Community before gaining further recognition under his musical alter ego, Childish Gambino. He created and starred in the FX series Atlanta (2016–2022), where fellow Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-creator Francesca Sloane also served as a writer. He recently played a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and assumed the role of Aaron Davis / The Prowler in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
Angelina Jolie and Maya Erskine (Jane Smith)
Much like Pitt, Jolie had already established a successful career when she took on the role of Jane Smith. She had earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted in 1999 and was fresh off her role as video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2001) and The Cradle of Life (2003). She’s since starred in films like Maleficent (2014) and Eternals (2021) while aiding various humanitarian efforts.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) was originally slated to assume Jolie’s role on the new series, but she left early on and was replaced by Maya Erskine, who rose to fame on Hulu’s brilliant coming-of-age series Pen15. She memorably stole scenes in Wine Country (2019) as Paula Pell’s love interest and starred alongside Jack Quaid in Plus One (2019). Up next for Erskine is a role in her partner Michael Angarano’s film Sacramento.
John Turturro
John Turturro made his name with the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink (1991) and had a memorable role as…
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