After the success of We Can Be Heroes, Netflix is teaming up with Robert Rodriguez once again, but this time to reboot the fan-favorite Spy Kids franchise. Although not officially named, the new movie is expected to be called Spy Kids: Armageddon and will focus on a new family of spies. Here’s everything we know about the new movie.
Robert Rodriguez will again write, produce and direct the movie, just like the first four Spy Kids installments.
Picture: Getty Images
Rodriguez recently did the aforementioned We Can Be Heroes movie for Netflix and episodes for the Star Wars series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
We Can Be Heroes is set in the Spy Kids universe serving as a sequel to the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D. Said movie has become one of the most successful kids’ movies in Netflix history, watched by 53 million households during the first four weeks on the service.
Pictured: We Can Be Heroes
The new film will be made in partnership with Skydance Media and Spy Kids rights owner Spyglass Media, which a year ago inked a deal with Rodriguez to work on redeveloping the property.
Spy Kids: Armageddon, although without its title at the time, was originally announced on March 30, 2022.
David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger will produce for Skydance, which will oversee development and production. Elizabeth Avellan and Racer Max will also produce. Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce.
What’s the plot of Spy Kids: Armageddon?
Plot details for the movie are very scarce, but we have a small logline nonetheless:
“A relaunch a classic family franchise which will revolve around the activities of a multicultural family. Tony and Patty must use all their gaming skills to save their spy parents who have been kidnapped by an evil man.”
Netflix has also provided another synopsis for the upcoming reboot:
“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.”
Two spy kids who have their parents kidnapped surely resembles the setup of the first Spy Kids movie with Tony and Patty being the new Juni and Carmen.
Picture: Troublemaker Studios
It is unclear at this moment whether Spy Kids: Armageddon is a full total reboot or a soft reboot.
In the case of the former, this would be like The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, which is in a whole separate universe from the original Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai. Therefore no characters from The Karate Kid can ever appear in Cobra Kai.
But if this is only a soft reboot set in the same universe as the original movies, there is very much a chance for the original cast to appear. Perhaps older Juni and Carmen can even become some sort of mentor figures to the new kids as it often happens with legacy characters. In our opinion, the likeliest character to reappear would be Danny Trejo as Machete with his cool spy gadgets.
Who is cast in Spy Kids: Armageddon?
Two waves of casting announcements have come for the new Netflix Spy Kids movie so far.
The first batch of announcements came in June 2022 with Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin, LOST OLLIE), Zachary Levi (Shazam!, Chuck), Everly Carganilla (Yes Day), and Connor Esterson added to the cast.
In July 2022, it was announced the Billy Magnussen is due to star.
D.J. Cotrona (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) is also expected to be involved in the movie, as is Neal Kodinsky (1883), who will play Villain Vargos.
Spy Kids Reboot Cast Grid – Pictures from: IMDb and Getty Images
What’s the production status of Spy Kids: Armageddon?
Netflix’s Spy Kids: Armageddon is now in the development stage with not much further details
Filming reportedly got underway in the middle of June 2022 with filming taking place in Austin, TX.
On August 31st, Robert Rodriguez took to Instagram to share that they had wrapped on the new movie.
In the post, the director and screenwriter for the movie said:
“Just wrapped a new SPYkids for @Netflix, working with my son Racer Max! First foto is from the set of SPYkids 2 in 2002. Not much has changed, only now he’s co-writer, co-producer, and a little heavier.”
Wrap picture for Netflix’s Spy Kids reboot – Picture: Instagram
What’s the Netflix release date for Spy Kids: Armageddon?
Netflix hasn’t announced a release date for Spy Kids: Armageddon, but considering its early development stage, it would stand to reason that the movie won’t come out for a while. Perhaps the second half of 2023.
We’ll let you know as soon as we hear any more details – watch this space!
