More than 20 years ago, Robert Rodriguez, the visionary filmmaker behind iconic neo-western ‘90s action movies like El Mariachi, Desperado, and From Dusk till Dawn, tried something new — a spy movie that used his over-the-top characters and action sequences but in a more family-friendly way. That movie, the 2001 action comedy Spy Kids, went on to be a success that launched a franchise of its own and introduced Rodriguez to a whole other audience.
In the two decades since the release of the movie, Rodriguez has returned to the franchise several more times, but not since 2011’s Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, while also trying out new ventures like the fan-favorite, Alita: Battle Angel, and the 2020 Netflix movie, We Can Be Heroes. Now, after a decade-plus away from the property, Rodriguez is coming back with a Spy Kids reboot. Here’s everything we know about it so far…
The Spy Kids Reboot Will Be A Netflix Exclusive
After not seeing a new addition to the franchise for nearly a decade, Variety revealed in January 2021 that Robert Rodriguez and his Skydance Media production company were in the process of rebooting the long-dormant franchise. At the time, it wasn’t disclosed if Rodriguez was going for a traditional theatrical rollout or finding a home on a streaming service.
That all changed in March 2022, when Netflix's Tudum announced that the new Spy Kids reboot movie would be exclusive to the platform upon its release. And, considering the fact that Rodriguez’s most recent movie, We Can Be Heroes, was released on Netflix and became a hit with viewers in December 2020, this makes perfect sense.
Gina Rodriguez And Zachary Levi Lead The Spy Kids Cast
Even though we don’t yet know when the Spy Kids reboot will be released or enter production, Robert Rodriguez and company have already started to put together a strong cast, with only a few names announced so far. In June 2022, Tudum announced that Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Zachary Levi (Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Everly Carganilla (Yes Day), and Connor Esterson (Attaway General) had all joined the Spy Kids cast as the family of super spies at the center of its story. However, the names of the characters have yet to be revealed.
Not long after, in July 2022, Deadline reported that Billy Magnussen, who previously played dynamic State Department agent Logan Ash in No Time To Die, had been added to the Spy Kids cast in an undisclosed role. But, if his turn in Daniel Craig’s final James Bond movie is any indication, the actor is well-equipped for whatever is thrown his way.
There haven’t been any additional announcements since then, but count on hearing more about the cast in the months to come.
The Movie Will Center on The Kids Of Super Spies Who Team Up To Take Down An Evil Game Developer
As the name suggests, the Spy Kids franchise has largely centered on child spies from the Organization of Super Spies (OSS) with original agents Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) rising to the occasion to save the world (and their parents) multiple times over the years. Although the upcoming reboot will focus on a new set of characters, the basic premise of the movie sounds very much in line with the previous four films.
When announcing the Spy Kids reboot, Netflix provided the official logline:
When the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, they must become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.
Admittedly, this description makes the reboot sound similar to the franchise’s 2003 installment, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which saw Sylvester Stallone as a villain known as The Toymaker, who created a diabolical virtual reality game in an attempt to escape cyberspace after being held prisoner there by the OSS. No word on if Stallone will come back in some shape or form, though.
Robert Rodriguez Co-Wrote The Spy Kids Reboot With His Son Racer Max
Up until this point, all of the movies in the Spy Kids franchise have been written by Robert Rodriguez with help from no one else. However, now it appears that Rodriguez, in the spirit of a movie about families working together to solve their problems, wrote the upcoming reboot along with his son, Racer Max, according to Netflix.
Although the Spy Kids reboot was Racer Max’s first time working on a movie in the franchise, he was credited with coming up with the story for his father’s 2004 family-friendly action movie, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D, and even portrayed a young version of Sharkboy in the feature film. He is also serving as a producer alongside his father on the upcoming movie. However, it remains to be seen if this is a sign that Racer Max will be taking over for his father with the franchise in the years to come.
Robert Rodriguez Returns To Direct The Spy Kids Reboot
Robert Rodriguez has directed some incredible movies throughout his career, and the Spy Kids franchise is included in that group. That being said, it should come as no surprise that the man who started the franchise more than 20 years ago will be sitting in the director’s chair for the upcoming reboot. Back when Netflix announced the cast, the streaming service also stated that Rodriguez would be returning to direct the movie he co-wrote and produced.
But, this isn’t the only popular family-friendly action movie Rodriguez has in the works for a Netflix release at some point in the future, as he has stated in the past that he is in the process of developing a sequel to the successful We Can Be Heroes movie as well. Expect to hear more on both of these exciting projects in the months to come.
There is still a lot we don’t yet know about the Spy Kids reboot, including its release date and if any familiar faces from previous movies will show up in some shape or from. One thing we do know, however, is that you will need an active Netflix subscription to watch it when it eventually does come out.
