Tradecraft: Get Smart Lives Again

In September, The Hollywood Reporter delivered the decidedly unexpected news that a new feature take on Get Smart was in the works starring John Mulaney. Now, the trade reports some new details... and, happily, it sounds like Mulaney gets Get Smart. 

The key to the humor in Mel Brooks' and Buck Henry's brilliant Sixties spoof TV series starring Don Adams was Maxwell Smart's unfailing confidence in the face of endless bumbling. Henry summarized this very succinctly in his character description in the original series bible: 

Maxwell Smart

Dedicated, hard-working, cool under fire, resourceful – all this is Maxwell Smart. Also tripping, forgetful, rash and bumbling. Max is an enigma, living in a mad limbo somewhere between heroism and tomfoolery. He’s a bumbler, however, who’s never quite aware of his mistakes – as far as he’s concerned, he’s the compleat agent, fully armed with countless gimmicks and weapons to back up his razor-sharp mind.

And somehow, he always wins in the end. If it takes falling backward over the lever that raises the iron gate which pulls taut the rope which just happens to twine around the villain’s leg. His methods exasperate – but as far as Control’s concerned, the end justifies the means. Even if only barely.

Yet somehow (despite presumably having access to that bible), director Peter Segal and star Steve Carrell completely missed that mark in their 2008 big screen version of Get Smart. While Carrell and Anne Hathaway both seemed ideally suited to play Max and 99, respectively, their version didn't work because it missed that key dynamic of Max being supremely sure of himself and 99 devoted to him despite his... "methods." Carrell's Max completely lacked confidence instead of oozing it. It sounds like Mulaney won't make the same mistake.

"It’s a world of espionage with a super, super confident, not always informed person," he told the trade at the premiere of his new film, Madden. "That’s my favorite type of person to play. I’ve gone very far in life sounding like I know what I’m talking about but having absolutely no idea what I’m saying. And I think that works perfectly for espionage."

Yes! Yes, he gets it. I'm very much looking forward to seeing his take, which sounds more in keeping with Don Adams' original character. 

Charles Roven and Andrew Lazar are producing this latest reboot, with Seth Grahame-Smith (Now You See Me: Now You Don't, The Lego Batman Movie) penning the screenplay.