In March 2020, Netflix announced they had landed a deal with Skydance Media and Spyglass Media Group to reimagine the Spy Kids franchise for the next generation. The first Spy Kids film was a huge success, grossing $112 million at the domestic box office. Since then, there have been three sequels that have collectively earned over $550 million worldwide.
Robert Rodriquez has been tasked with writing, directing, and producing the film’s reboot, which will introduce the world to a new spy family. Rodriguez has been apart of the franchise since the original Spy Kids film launched in 2001, followed by Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams (2002), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), and Spy Kids: All The Time In The World (2011). Rodriguez previously directed the Netflix family film We Can Be Heroes, which served as a continuation of his other beloved franchise, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl.
Co-writing & producing alongside Rodriguez will be his son, Racer Max Rodriguez, who previously assisted in the story development for The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger and Elizabeth Avellan will serve as producers. Skydance will serve as the lead studio, overseeing development and production. Spyglass, the franchise owner, will have Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre executive producing.
On June 23rd, the cast of the new Spy Kids family was announced. It will be made up of Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla and newcomer Connor Esterson. Gina Rodriguez is also known for her lead role in ABC’s single-camera comedy Not Dead Yet, Amazon’s I Want You Back and Awake, as well as her upcoming role in the Amazon series Last Known Position. Zachary Levi was last seen playing the main character in the American Underdog film and will be reprising his role as Shazam in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Everly Carganilla was most recently seen in the film The Haunted Man and the television series The Afterparty and The Chair. Connor Esterson will be appearing in his first feature film for Spy Kids and has previously been seen on the television series Attaway General and on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The synopsis for the new Spy Kids reboot is as follows: “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.”
Similarly, the first Sky Kids film released in 2001 was also about two children, Carmen and Juni (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara), who step in to help rescue their parents Gregorio and Ingrid (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) and bring down the evil TV host, Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming) after he captures their parents and turns them into “FoOglies”, which are creatures on his show.
There’s no word yet on what roles the actors will be filling or if Carmen and Juni will be returning, but be sure to stand by for the latest on the upcoming mission.