Would you believe a ‘Smart’ spy spoof?
The new Get Smart movie has to contend with two big changes from the original 1965 TV show: the fall of communism and the rise of feminism.
Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are at work on the remake as spymasters Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, taking over for the late Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, now 75. The movie is set for release in June 2008.
Director Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Tommy Boy) says the challenge was figuring out a way to update a silly Cold War comedy for the world after 9/11, finding things to laugh at in the face of global fear.
“We try to show the disconnect between government agencies as we saw right after 9/11 when the CIA and FBI weren’t really communicating,” Segal says. “We wanted to make sure we were politically satirical.”
The anarchy group known as KAOS is back for more foiling, and the mockery tends to stay closer to bureaucratic bungling.
“Obviously, Max works for CONTROL, and there’s a lot of infighting within Washington over who’s responsible for which parts of the world,” Segal says.
The story focuses on KAOS’ blackmailing the United States by threatening to give away launch codes for nuclear bombs that are in the hands of bad guys.
“Max has to figure out where the bombs are and stop them, ultimately saving the world,” Segal says.
Meanwhile, the iconic shoe-phone and Cone of Silence make their return.
Carell’s Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine co-star Alan Arkin takes on the role of CONTROL’s Chief, a gruff straight man originally played by the late Edward Platt.
The film updates the relationship between the two heroes, telling an origin story of how Smart became an agent and met 99. In this version, she is the veteran spy who takes the newcomer under her wing.
“In the TV show, she was the woman who stood firmly behind her man,” Segal says. When Smart failed to live up to his name, Feldon’s character tended to giggle it away with an eye roll and an “Oh, Max!”
“That’s a little dated for today,” Segal says. “99 is a little more kick-(butt) and tougher, more emancipated. She’s more the female James Bond, teaching him the ropes.”
Categories