The Spy Kids franchise is arguably one of Robert Rodriguez’s most famous creations. He's presided over it in the same way that Avatar is spearheaded by James Cameron or how the Dark Knight trilogy was guided by Christopher Nolan. The Texas native has been making the family films for over two decades now. After much speculation the franchise getting the reboot treatment with Rodriguez attached, said production is finally coming to fruition. And ahead of its release, the filmmaker is explaining just why he keeps returning to the IP.
It's honestly rare that a long-running series maintains its lead creative for so long. But Robert Rodriguez has stuck with his espionage-centric romps through the highs and lows. The filmmaker told People part of his reason for staying is because Spy Kids has had such a positive impact on so many people:
I’ve just heard from so many families how much they’ve enjoyed these films over the course of their lives. And now a lot of kids who enjoyed the first films as children are parents themselves and enjoy sharing them with their kids.
It’s hard to believe it’s been over two decades since the first time Spy Kids was introduced to audiences. Starring Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara as siblings Carmen and Juni Cortez, the inaugural movie sees both children tasked with rescuing their kidnapped secret agent parents. And at the same time, they must protect the world from robotic children crafted by a famed TV show host. The successful 2001 movie spawned two direct sequels, subtitled Island of Lost Dreams and Game Over, in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Robert Rodriguez then revived the series years later with 2011's All the Time in the World, which wasn't as successful as its predecessors.
Still, as the director mentioned, the series has indeed been popular over the years, especially amongst families. So it's understandable that he'd be eager to return and relaunch the property for streaming with Spy Kids: Armageddon. The film stars Zachary Levi and Gina Rodriguez as spy parents, whose kids unwittingly help a madman unleash a computer virus. In addition to wanting to entertain the masses, the El Mariachi helmer also has a more personal reason for keeping the series alive:
And personally, this series was based on my growing up in a family of 10 kids with an FBI special-agent uncle. These films were created by my family and me so, in a way, this is our James Bond series of films. We would just love to make them forever. They're empowering for kids, and a bonding experience for families.
Wow, imagine all the stories Robert Rodriguez was told by his special-agent uncle. Thanks to that inspiration, he really hit on something special with this franchise. He also filled a need, as there weren't too many kid-friendly properties (at the time the first film released) that exuded a James Bond-esque vibe. The OG trilogy definitely left an impression, and I can attest to that. I remember that after I saw the first installment in theaters, I wanted to get my hands on all of those cool gadgets. Children today may feel the same way after watching Armageddon.
Another personal detail we know about the Spy Kids reboot is that it allowed its director the opportunity to work with his son, Racer Max, who co-wrote the script. The last time the father and son duo worked together was back in 2005 with The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. When Racer was seven years old, he came up with the story of a boy raised by sharks and a girl who could wield fire. The young man received a screenplay credit for the superhero film at a young age, too. Considering that the now-26-year-old Racer not only penned the scripted but also produced the movie, this is something of a full-circle moment.
Robert Rodriguez is an example of a filmmaker who stays faithful to his film series. With Spy Kids being such a personal project to him, it’s understandable why he doesn’t plan on passing the torch to someone else. Unless, of course, that person could maybe be his own son down the line. Make sure to watch the next generation of young OSS agents in Spy Kids: Armageddon, which will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription starting on September 22 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
