EXCLUSIVE: The mystery of who survived the gunfight in Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 finale cliffhanger will remain unsolved for the time being. Production on Season 2 of Prime Video‘s popular series has been pushed, with its future uncertain, sources tell Deadline. The delay is due to cast issues, I hear.
Anora‘s Mark Eydelshteyn and Yellowjackets‘ Sophie Thatcher were cast as Season 2’s eponymous Mr. and Mrs. Smith in December and February, respectively.
On March 31, the Amazon MGM Studios-produced show received a $22.4M tax credit from the California Film Commission for the second season to relocate to Los Angeles from New York where the first installment was filmed.
A flurry of activity followed, with Lily-Rose Depp, Francesca Scorsese, Levon Hawke, Wagner Moura, Gael Garcia Bernal all rumored for guest star/recurring roles over the summer.
But neither was ever confirmed as sources say deals have not closed, and the new season, initially eying a fall production start, is now on indefinite hold, I hear. New Regency, which co-produces the series with Amazon MGM Studios, hopes to start pre-production at the end of the year for a 2026 shoot, sources said.
The delay could impact Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘s California tax incentive as projects have to film within 18 months of getting awarded the credit. Still, major series, especially relocating ones, tend to get a new credit should they miss the window of eligibility on their original one.
Created by Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane, Season 1 of Mr. and Mrs. Smith followed two lonely strangers (Glover, Maya Erskine) who have to pose as a married couple as they both begin new careers as spies, taking on new aliases, Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. The season ended with John and Jane getting into a gunfight, leaving it unclear whether they survive.
Amazon and the show creators have remained mum on the creative plan for the series, which is based on the New Regency-produced 2005 movie starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, though one-year deals for the leads point to a potential anthology format with a different story and largely different characters each season.
Sloane, who returned as executive producer and showrunner for Season 2 alongside EP Glover, has since moved to HBO with an overall deal, writing the opening episode of Big Little Lies Season 3.
Season 1 premiered in February and became a Top 5 new series debut for Prime Video in the United States at that time. It landed 16 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Lead Actor/Actress In a Drama Series for Glover and Erskine, winning two trophies, including Guest Actress In A Drama Series for Michaela Coel.