39 comments

  1. Before I even heard about the remake of the old Get Smart TV show, I thought Steve Carell would make a great Maxwell Smart. I even commented on it to my friends. I am positive he’s going to do brilliantly in this movie. I rarely go to movies any more, but this one will be on my list. I loved Get Smart!

  2. He looks too much like Michael Scott! I will only see Mike on the Screen not Max.

  4. I’m afraid I’m old enough to have actually grown up with Get Smart, at least during its syndicated repeats heyday (probably early to mid 1970s).

    I loved the show, and I sometimes have referred to the need for a “cone of silence” at my various workplaces. :) I’m not sure how funny the “shoe phone” would be in a world where thumb-sized cell phones are commonplace, but it was — like a Star Trek communicator — seemingly outlandish at the time.

    Anyone interested in the original show can view some videos at Time Life’s site for the original show’s DVD sets: http://www.timelife.com/checkout/micro.jsp?pageId=1183

    I’m hoping this is an affectionate parody and not like the various TV show updates (Starsky & Hutch, Dukes of Hazzard come to mind) that trash the original material. I’m confident Steve Carrel wouldn’t be interested in something like that. :)

  5. I am not a big fan of Anne Hathaway, but she has a certain look that is very similar to the original Agent 99. Steve looking very appropriate as always!

  9. Looks like Agent 99’s 60s style was also carried over into the new adaptation…of course the more things change, the more they stay the same.

    Can’t wait to hear Alan as Chief with that NYC accent!

  10. looks like michael gets to live out his dream and become a secret agent… his code name should be agent michael scarn haha

  11. Though I’m not crazy about the idea of Anne Hathaway being cast as 99, I’m definitely still going to see this movie.

  12. I actually know a girl (she’s 13) who’s middle name is, no kidding, 99. That is her middle name. I’m actually not sure if she spells it out or it’s the numbers but whatever. It’s weird. Her parents liked the TV show. Needless to say, perhaps, she lives in Greenwich Village in Manhattan and her parents are something of “free spirits”. I think Anne Hathaway will totally work as 99 and Steve is PERFECT.

  13. Hathaway is 10 years too young for the role. But I am going to see it, I’m sure Carell will do a good job and there will be good laughs.

  14. I’ve never seen the show (I’m 20) so I don’t know what to think about this. I think there was a link on IMDB that talked about the script…again I never saw the original but the movie doesn’t sound very good.

  15. Happy for Steve Carrell to be landing iconic headlining roles. Although I continually say Steve will get too big (timewise / availability) for television. IMDB.com has him on 7 projects for ’07 & ’08 (including Evan). That’s an insane schedule when you factor in a top-rated NBC television show.

    So am I saying we need to enjoy Mr. Carrell as Michael Scott while we can? Yessshhhhhhh.

  16. I cannot WAIT!! I loved Get Smart! I think Steve will be awesome!
    (And apparently I also love exclamation points…)haha
    Seriously, I do think Anne Hathaway is a bit too young, but she is a great comedic actress, and Steve is good enough to carry any movie :)

  17. I do like Ann Hathaway, but I agree; she is 10 years too young for the role. That bugs me.

  18. Wow, they are not messing around with getting info about this movie out into the world…didn’t they just start filming like a month ago?! And extra awesome (blossom) is that BJ Novak is one of the writers…so maybe he’ll have a cameo as Samuel L. Chang? :)

  20. I’ll be honest, I haven’t really liked any movie or TV show Steve has done up to point besides of course for the Office. However, from what I’ve heard this might be a FUNNY movie. I guess we’ll know the first time Steve answers his shoe whether or not we have the new Max Smart.

  21. Rashida Jones would have been the right age for the role and with her look and style would have brought a modern feel to the whole thing without messing it up. I’m not a big fan of Karen but I’d have picked RJ for 99.

    But if they didn’t want to take a risk like that then maybe Christine Taylor (Ben Stiller’s wife), she’s an experienced comic actress and not too young for the role.

  22. I’m 20 years old and I grew up watching the re-runs on nick-at-nite or tvland. I loved the show, Steve Carell is perfect for the role and I think Anne Hathaway is a good choice for 99. Not sure if them two together will be good but I’m sure they’ll make it work!

  24. I can see your points about the age thing, *esp* if 99 is supposed to be the “veteran”…after all she was last playing the assistant in …Prada. I guess it’ll be a testament to her acting ability if she can pull it off.

  25. I’ve seen the script and covered it on my podcast

    There’s also a spoiler-filled review here

    The age difference with Hathaway is explained in the movie, though she looks older than her age in this photo. Steve’s “Maxwell Smart” is a combo of Andy Stitzer and the clueless part of Michael Scott. It’s really perfect casting. Arkin and The Rock are also well-cast for their roles.

    The script wasn’t great but I’m sure Steve will add some good things to the script and/or via improvization.

  26. Hmm. Good spoiler page there. I think it would have been smarter to have Hathaway play 99 as a wunderkind, a couple years from training school (since she’s only 24) but a remarkably good agent nonetheless. Then 86 could be like hey, she’s young, I’ve been here for years, professional jealousy battling romantic inclinations thing, all the while saving the world hand in hand. And what’s with thinking the original 99 wasn’t a sophisticated woman? She was a very forward character for her time. This will probably end up another lame in name only rip-off, sorry to say.

  27. I’m with NoGould (26) on the point about 99’s feminism. While she may not have been the outrightly emancipated woman we see today, she was clearly a precursor (perhaps contributor?!?) to the feminist movement: she was smart, sexy, confident, and reliable.

    In fact, 99 definitely performed her gender in a positive and affirming manner, something that perhaps cannot be said for Maxwell Smart himself, who, like Dick Van Dyke a decade before, played the bumbling fool (read: man) who was wholly reliant on his wife for day-to-day functionality.

  28. Anne Hathaway would be a perfect young agent 99

    they should have hired someone like, Jennifer Connelly. the original 99 was a bit older

  29. oops – almost forgot to mention

    Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart is absolutely genius! He’s perfect for that role

  30. Anne Hathaway is playing agent 99? They didn’t want to cast a woman a little closer in age to Steve Carell?

    In the TV show, she was Maxwell Smart’s love interest. If this is the case in the new movie, Hathaway is TWENTY YEARS YOUNGER than Carell!

    I’m pretty tired of movies teaming older men with really young women.
    That kind of casting is creepy and not realistic.

    Let’s hope that’s not how this movie is scripted – maybe Agent 99 is his daughter.

  31. I read the ENTIRE article, and it states that she is supposed to be a younger agent with Smart teaching her the ropes, but doesn’t say whether they are to be “romantically involved”.

    Let’s hope not.

    Seems to be just another cheap attempt to change old TV shows as vehicles for a hot, young actors to bring in younger audiences (The Avengers, Mod Squad, Lost in Space, Wild, Wild West, etc.). God forbid they cast an actress over the age of 30…

    Perhaps they could remake “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” with Paris Hilton…

  33. I love Steve and I’m sure he will be worth watching, but the movie as a whole seems like a bad idea. The TV adaptation genre has never produced anything worthwhile except the first Brady Bunch movie. And the age difference between Steve and Hathaway is just creepy. Are we really to believe there are no talented, beautiful actresses over the age of 30 who could play this role?

    Between this and “Evan Almighty”, I think Steve needs a new agent.

  34. Wow! That is going to be AWESOME! Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway are two of my favourite actors! CANT WAIT

  35. I agree with Dave (33). With the star power (not to mention comic abiity) Carell has right now, he should really be picking up better work than this in movies. And if this is the best Hollywood can do in making comedies, then they really need to get out of the business and start cleaning pools or something. What happened to smart funny? (no pun intended!)

  39. I live in Montreal and saw Steve Carell yesturday (well a few meters away)!!! He was shooting in Old Monteal and we were there for three hours! They had the street look like Eastern Europe, old cars, signs in Russian. They were also going to “blow up” the building at 3 in the morning. They also filmed in a cathedral(the one Celine Dion got married in) and we saw all the extras go in. Steve Carell is going to be on The Daily Show monday and it’s bound to be hilarious cause he used to work there.

Leave a Reply