‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Season 2 Delayed, Creator Pivots to ‘Big Little Lies’ at HBO

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 2 production has been delayed at Prime Video, TV Insider can confirm. Showrunner Francesca Sloane has reportedly inked a new exclusive overall deal with HBO that will see her helm Big Little Lies Season 3 with David E. Kelley starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.

The Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 2 delay and Sloane’s new Big Little Lies gig were revealed back-to-back in separate reports by Deadline on Thursday, September 11. This comes after reports that Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher and Anora star Mark Eydelshteyn would play the titular Smiths in the second season of the spy thriller. The delay could impact the show’s $22.4M tax credit from the California Film Commission granted for Season 2.

Sloane served as showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer on Mr. & Mrs. Smith alongside star Donald Glover through her Amazon-MGM Studios overall deal. Now, she’s moving to HBO for a reported two-year exclusive deal, and her ties to Mr. & Mrs. Smith at Prime Video seem to be cut. Sloane and Glover worked together on Atlanta.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 ended on a major cliffhanger that left the fate of its titular couple, played by series co-creator Glover and Maya Erskine, hanging in the balance. The Season 2 renewal, which came months after Season 1 debuted in full on Prime Video in February 2024, confirmed that the cliffhanger would be addressed in some form. But now the show’s future is unclear.

Here’s everything we know about this Emmy-nominated action-drama’s future following Sloane’s departure.

Is Mr. & Mrs. Smith canceled?

The series is on hold, not canceled, as of the time of publication. Casting issues are said to be the cause of the delay, according to Deadline. Eydelshteyn and Thatcher were cast in December and February, respectively, per Deadline. Lily-Rose Depp, Francesca Scorsese, Levon Hawke, Wagner Moura, and Gael Garcia Bernal were rumored guest/recurring stars this summer, but casting deals were reportedly never finalized.

The production’s new tax credit was announced in March. Projects had to begin filming within 18 months of receiving the tax credit, so this delay could put that at risk. But a new credit is still possible if their eligibility window expires before production begins.

Deadline reports that Sloane was in talks to renew her overall deal with Amazon-MGM Studios, but Mr. & Mrs. Smith being in limbo resulted in a lower offer than she had before. She explored the market afterwards and ended up snagging the highly sought-after writing spot on Big Little Lies‘ return. Sloane will write the first episode of Season 3 and executive produce the new season with Kelley, who created the Emmy-winning series.

Sophie Thatcher and Mark Eydelshteyn (Kevin Winter / Mike Coppola / Getty Images)

Are Donald Glover and Maya Erskine coming back for Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 2?

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Glover was set to return as an executive producer in Season 2, with Sloane back as showrunner and EP. But Season 2 casting reports indicated that Glover and Erskine would not be returning onscreen as their John and Jane Smith. Should the show continue, it would need a replacement for Sloane.

The last time we saw the Season 1 Smiths, John was bleeding out from a gunshot wound and Jane was trapped in a safe room with him, with Parker Posey‘s character armed and waiting just outside the door. They decided to open it and fight back, and the finale’s credits scene ended on an exterior shot of their New York City house where two gunshots could be heard going off inside. Who fired the shots remains a mystery.

Deadline reported in October that Amazon MGM Studios was looking for actors in their 20s to play the next John and Jane in Season 2. These new Smiths would reportedly lead the series and would require a one-year deal with the show. Billie Eilish was rumored to be a name the studio was considering for Jane.

Glover and Erskine, as well as Sloane and other Amazon reps, have avoided revealing anything about a potential return from the Season 1 stars, who both received Emmy nominations for their performances. Sloane told Deadline after the Season 1 finale, “If we tell you too much, you’ll know early if they survived.” When asked if the series would become an anthology with new stars each season, Sloane replied with a succinct “maybe.”