‘Spy Kids’ Reboot in the Works, Robert Rodriguez Involved

The Spy Kids franchise appears to be ready to make its long-awaited return. Deadline reports that Skydance Media has optioned the rights to reimagine the family action flick. Spyglass Media Group, which owns the rights, will team back up with creator Robert Rodriguez to write and direct the next installment. Skydance’s interest in adding the franchise to its collection has to do with the multicultural family that stars in the story. Rodriguez told Collider in 2020 that was a major sticking point for him ahead of the 2001 film. “For me, it was a big victory,” Rodriguez said of convincing the studio to make the family Latina. “And I wanted to make a movie about my family [because] I grew up in a family of 10 kids, a big Latin family.” The original cast Antonio Banderas, Daryl Sabara, Danny Trejo, and Carla Gugino, stuck around for at least three films, with Trejo also appearing in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World from 2011.

Deadline also notes that Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will serve as executive producers with Skydance’s studios’ backing. With Rodriguez back in the fold after directing the first four films in the franchise, his current schedule is quickly filling up. After directing Chapter 14: The Tragedy for The Mandalorian, he was tagged to return alongside Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni to work on The Book of Boba Fett, another spin-off in the Star Wars franchise that will debut on Disney+ in December.

His work in The Mandalorian was his first on the television end of more than six years. He directed Roadracers in 1994 before taking a long break from the small screen, eventually taking part in multiple projects between 2014 to 2016. On the big screen is where Rodriguez has been most active in his career. He directed We Can Be Heroes, a standalone sequel to his 2005 film, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, for Netflix in 2020. The year prior, he put out Alita: Battle Angel and Red 11.

The first Spy Kids was a major hit for the studio as it racked up $112 million at the domestic box-office. The franchise as a whole has amassed more than $650 million between all four movies and will look to add even more to that total with the newest installment.