‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Showrunner Francesca Sloane on Mining Marriage for Maximum Drama (and Laughs)

When it was announced in early 2021 that “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” the 2005 blockbuster action romance with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie playing the titular spies, was being adapted into a television series for Prime Video, the response was mixed at best. Why would anyone attempt to resurrect a successful property partially fueled by salacious tabloid fodder surrounding Pitt and Jolie’s real-life affair — let alone try to re-create their chemistry onscreen and reimagine a new take?

The initial doubts over the TV version of “Mr.