Two things can be true at once: remakes can be unnecessary and they can be great business. They simplify marketing for studios because the audience already knows what to expect. However, most fans crave original content. So, it’s no surprise that some of Donald Glover's fans were disappointed when news broke that he would be remaking the beloved movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Little did anyone know that Glover and his co-creator, Francesca Sloane, were about to deliver a masterclass in approaching remakes.
Before the show even premiered, Sloane wrote an open letter acknowledging that fans of the 2005 version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as undercover spies, might feel that a new iteration is unnecessary. Over the past decade, Glover has pushed the boundaries of television with shows like Swarm and Atlanta, so his fans and critics understandably expect excellence from him every time he releases something new. A remake seemed beneath his talents. But according to Sloane, that’s precisely why they decided to make the show. She shared that Glover only considered remaking Mr. & Mrs. Smith for the Amazon streaming service Prime Video because it would require such a big swing.
