Prime Video’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Series Shifts Premiere To Early 2024
Prime Video has announced that the upcoming series ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘, a reimagining of the 2005 film, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, will move from its planned November 2023 premiere date to “Early 2024”.
Meet the Smiths: Two strangers, John (Glover) and Jane (Erskine), who have given up their identities to be thrown together as partners – in espionage and in marriage. Matched by a mysterious agency, each episode follows them on a new mission and new milestone in their relationship. When the cracks begin to show through, they must fight to stay together. Because in this marriage, divorce is not an option.
Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine (PEN15) take the title roles for the series, and are joined by Parker Posey (Lost in Space), Wagner Moura (Shining Girls, Narcos), Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You, Chewing Gum), John Turturro (The Batman, Severance), and Paul Dano (The Batman, 12 Years a Slave).
The reason for the shift is pretty straightforward, and something we’re likely to see more of in the coming months – the Hollywood strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Under the SAG-AFTRA rules, actors are not allowed to promote projects, past, present, or upcoming, which were produced under a SAG-AFTRA contract. And when you’re launching a brand new series, ideally, you want the cast available to promote it, which currently isn’t possible.
The series was originally being developed by Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with the pair due to star in the lead roles. However, in September 2021, Waller-Bridge and Glover amicably parted ways, citing the ‘ol “creative differences” as the reason for the spilt. Waller-Bridge later commented in an interview “I worked on that show for six months fully in heart and mind and really cared about it — still care about it. And I know it’s gonna be brilliant. But sometimes it’s about knowing when to leave the party. You don’t want to get in the way of a vision. Creative collaboration is like a marriage, and some marriages don’t work out.”
The series, based on the original movie from New Regency which starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is co-created and exec-produced by Glover and Francesca Sloane (Atlanta), who also serves as the showrunner. New Regency’s Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer also executive produce, and Amazon Studios is the studio.
