With the tax breaks that have been approved, California wants to attract big productions again. The first season of Mr. & Mrs. Smith was mainly filmed in New York, with some scenes in Italy, including Lake Como and the Dolomites.
Although the series has received a boost in the last three grant cycles, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is not explicitly on the California Film Commission's list of approved projects. It is not uncommon for major productions to register under pseudonyms to avoid additional attention. For example, the commission recently approved 48 new film projects, totaling $96 million in tax credits.
For years, there have been calls in California’s manufacturing sector for action against so-called “runaway production,” where productions move to other states or countries for cost or tax reasons. Those calls became louder after the tough years for the industry: first the COVID-19 shutdowns and then the double strikes in 2023. The major wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year also made the need for support measures more clear.
California, meanwhile, is competing fiercely with other states, such as New York, which recently expanded its own tax-advantaged program, and with international locations luring productions with favorable terms. The return of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is being seen as a major victory for Newsom and the California film and television industry. It shows that big, prestigious productions are willing to return, if offered attractive terms.
The series follows in the footsteps of Prime Video’s Fallout, which also decided to move production to California. Although production in California has declined in recent years, promising new projects have been announced in the state, including HBO Max series The Pitt, Hulu’s Paradise, and CBS series NCIS: Origins.
Created by Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane, Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s first season centers on two lonely strangers (played by Glover and Maya Erskine) who are forced to enter a marriage of convenience while starting out as spies. Each week, they are given a new dangerous mission, but at the same time, they are also confronted with the challenges of their “relationship,” in which work and personal feelings increasingly intertwine.
The second season will feature new leads: Mark Eydelshteyn and Sophie Thatcher will take over. Francesca Sloane will return as showrunner and executive producer, while Donald Glover will once again serve as executive producer.
