Comedian and actor John Mulaney is currently in early talks to star as Agent Maxwell Smart in Warner Bros.' upcoming feature film reboot of the classic spy comedy franchise Get Smart.
Production and Creative Team
The project remains in very early development at the studio. Seth Grahame-Smith has been tapped to write the screenplay, establishing the narrative direction for the new adaptation. Meanwhile, Chuck Roven and Andrew Lazar are attached to produce the film, steering the project through its initial formative stages before physical production can be scheduled.
Franchise History
The original Get Smart television series was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, running for 138 episodes between 1965 and 1970 with Don Adams starring as the iconic, bumbling secret agent. The property previously received a major Hollywood feature film adaptation in 2008 starring Steve Carell alongside Anne Hathaway, which grossed over $230 million worldwide.
This new iteration means Warner Bros. is actively positioning the IP for a contemporary cinematic revival. With the screenplay currently underway by Grahame-Smith and Mulaney in discussions for the lead role, the studio is setting the foundational pieces for the property's return to the big screen nearly two decades after Carell's tenure as CONTROL's Agent 86.
Industry analysts note that casting Mulaney in the signature role of Agent 86 suggests a distinct comedic direction for the reboot. Known for his sharp, distinctively articulate stand-up style and theatrical deadpan delivery, Mulaney brings a vastly different performance persona to the character compared to the earnest, chaotic energy that Steve Carell brought to the 2008 adaptation or the original dry, deadpan bravado of Don Adams.
Warner Bros. has yet to announce a targeted release window or director for the feature, given that the production is firmly anchored in the writing stage. As Grahame-Smith continues drafting the screenplay, studio executives are expected to evaluate how to modernize the timeless gadgetry, absurd villains, and bureaucratized espionage of the original CONTROL versus KAOS dynamic for modern audiences without losing the nostalgic appeal that has kept the intellectual property relevant for nearly sixty years.
While no official timeline has been established for the film's release, the early momentum behind the project highlights Warner Bros.' continued reliance on recognizable, nostalgia-driven intellectual properties in an increasingly competitive theatrical landscape. The studio clearly hopes that combining Mulaney’s sharp comedic voice with a fresh script will successfully introduce the iconic world of secret agents, shoe telephones, and bureaucratic espionage to a whole new generation of moviegoers.
