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Warner Bros. Eyes John Mulaney for Maxwell Smart in New Get Smart Reboot
Warner Bros. is reportedly in early talks to cast stand‑up comic John Mulaney as Agent Maxwell Smart in a fresh film adaptation of the 1960s spy‑parody series Get Smart. Variety reports that the studio has hired writer Seth Grahame‑Smith—known for the Dark Shadows remake—to draft the screenplay, but no director or release window has been announced.
The original Get Smart television show premiered on NBC on September 18, 1965, and ran for five seasons until May 15, 1970, producing 138 episodes. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the series as a comedic response to the spy boom, fusing Bond‑style gadgets with the bumbling detective humor of The Pink Panther. Don Adams portrayed Agent 86, Barbara Feldon played Agent 99, and Edward Platt served as the agency’s Chief. The show’s humor hinged on recurring gags—such as the shoe‑phone, the soup camera, and the acoustically inept “Cone of Silence”—and popularized catch‑phrases like “Sorry about that, Chief” and “…and loving it.”
The franchise expanded beyond television. A 1980 theatrical film, The Nude Bomb, and a 1989 made‑for‑TV sequel, Get Smart, Again! appeared in the early ’80s. A 1995 revival series followed, and in 2008 a feature film revived the property on the big screen. Directed by Peter Segal and written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, the 2008 movie starred Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, Anne Hathaway as Agent 99, Dwayne Johnson as a rival spy, and Alan Arkin as the Chief. Warner Bros. released it on June 20, 2008, and it earned $230 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, according to box‑office reports. The film received mixed critical reviews but proved a commercial success.
After the 2008 adaptation, Warner Bros. explored a direct‑to‑video spin‑off featuring supporting characters Bruce and Lloyd, but ultimately chose not to pursue a sequel. Carell declined to return after the initial script was rejected.
The new reboot arrives as the spy‑genre landscape shifts. Warner Bros. is also developing a new James Bond film, and revisiting Get Smart may be an effort to tap audiences’ appetite for both classic spy tropes and their satirical counterparts. Industry observers note that Mulaney’s deadpan comedic style could pivot the narrative toward witty dialogue rather than action set‑pieces, offering a fresh angle on the original premise.
Seth Grahame‑Smith’s involvement is notable for his work on genre‑blending projects such as Now You See Me: Now You Don’t and the Dark Shadows remake. While the script remains in development, Variety reports that Warner Bros. aims to craft a modern version that honors the original’s humor while updating its references for contemporary audiences.
No director has been attached, and Warner Bros. has not issued a formal statement beyond the Variety report. The studio’s decision to bring Mulaney on board signals a willingness to experiment with the franchise’s legacy, but the film’s eventual tone, budget, and box‑office prospects remain uncertain.
The Get Smart reboot joins a wave of recent attempts to revive classic comedy properties, following the success of musical adaptations of The Producer and the upcoming Spaceballs sequel. Whether Mulaney’s involvement will translate into a commercially viable film remains to be seen, but the project exemplifies Warner Bros.’s ongoing strategy to re‑imagine nostalgic properties for new audiences.
The next steps will likely involve securing a director, finalizing the script, and setting a production schedule. Fans of the original series and new viewers alike will be watching closely to see how the studio balances homage with innovation in the upcoming Get Smart reboot.
The original Get Smart television show premiered on NBC on September 18, 1965, and ran for five seasons until May 15, 1970, producing 138 episodes. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the series as a comedic response to the spy boom, fusing Bond‑style gadgets with the bumbling detective humor of The Pink Panther. Don Adams portrayed Agent 86, Barbara Feldon played Agent 99, and Edward Platt served as the agency’s Chief. The show’s humor hinged on recurring gags—such as the shoe‑phone, the soup camera, and the acoustically inept “Cone of Silence”—and popularized catch‑phrases like “Sorry about that, Chief” and “…and loving it.”
The franchise expanded beyond television. A 1980 theatrical film, The Nude Bomb, and a 1989 made‑for‑TV sequel, Get Smart, Again! appeared in the early ’80s. A 1995 revival series followed, and in 2008 a feature film revived the property on the big screen. Directed by Peter Segal and written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, the 2008 movie starred Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, Anne Hathaway as Agent 99, Dwayne Johnson as a rival spy, and Alan Arkin as the Chief. Warner Bros. released it on June 20, 2008, and it earned $230 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, according to box‑office reports. The film received mixed critical reviews but proved a commercial success.
After the 2008 adaptation, Warner Bros. explored a direct‑to‑video spin‑off featuring supporting characters Bruce and Lloyd, but ultimately chose not to pursue a sequel. Carell declined to return after the initial script was rejected.
The new reboot arrives as the spy‑genre landscape shifts. Warner Bros. is also developing a new James Bond film, and revisiting Get Smart may be an effort to tap audiences’ appetite for both classic spy tropes and their satirical counterparts. Industry observers note that Mulaney’s deadpan comedic style could pivot the narrative toward witty dialogue rather than action set‑pieces, offering a fresh angle on the original premise.
Seth Grahame‑Smith’s involvement is notable for his work on genre‑blending projects such as Now You See Me: Now You Don’t and the Dark Shadows remake. While the script remains in development, Variety reports that Warner Bros. aims to craft a modern version that honors the original’s humor while updating its references for contemporary audiences.
No director has been attached, and Warner Bros. has not issued a formal statement beyond the Variety report. The studio’s decision to bring Mulaney on board signals a willingness to experiment with the franchise’s legacy, but the film’s eventual tone, budget, and box‑office prospects remain uncertain.
The Get Smart reboot joins a wave of recent attempts to revive classic comedy properties, following the success of musical adaptations of The Producer and the upcoming Spaceballs sequel. Whether Mulaney’s involvement will translate into a commercially viable film remains to be seen, but the project exemplifies Warner Bros.’s ongoing strategy to re‑imagine nostalgic properties for new audiences.
The next steps will likely involve securing a director, finalizing the script, and setting a production schedule. Fans of the original series and new viewers alike will be watching closely to see how the studio balances homage with innovation in the upcoming Get Smart reboot.
