Spy Kids and cast of Spy Kids: Armageddon – Pictures: Getty Images
After the success of We Can Be Heroes, Netflix is teaming up with Robert Rodriguez again, but this time to reboot the actual Spy Kids franchise. As we first revealed, the new entry is Spy Kids: Armageddon, focusing on a new family of spies. Here’s everything we know about the new movie confirmed for release in 2023.
Robert Rodriguez will again write, produce and direct the movie, just like the first four Spy Kids installments.
Picture: Getty Images
Article Continues Below…
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. It remains one of Netflix’s most popular movies of all time, with it being the sixth most popular in Netflix’s history based on hours viewed in the first 91 days.
Pictured: We Can Be Heroes
The Spy Kids movie 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 then, 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 with their parents kidnapped 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.
Who is cast in Spy Kids: Armageddon?
So far, two waves of casting announcements have come for the new Netflix Spy Kids movie.
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 that 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?
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 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 in May 2023, Robert Rodriguez was interviewed by Collider about the new movie and confirmed the movie would arrive in 2023. Netflix has now confirmed a 2023 release date despite it not being included in the initial 2023 lineup.
The director told the outlet that it’d be arriving sometime after August 2023, saying:
“I don’t know if I can say the release date, but it’s coming, it’s this year. We haven’t announced it yet, but it’s coming this year. I just finished scoring it, so you know, we’re still waiting for visual effects. It won’t be done until August, so it won’t be any earlier than August.”
We’ll keep you posted on all things Spy Kids: Armageddon as soon as we get it – watch this space!