20 years after starring inMr. & Mrs. Smith,Angelina Jolieis teaming up with director Doug Liman again for a new spy thriller movie. The 2005 film, which also featured Brad Pitt, was a commercial hit that made $487 million worldwide. It later inspired a 2024Prime Video showstarring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.
As perThe Hollywood Reporter, Jolie and Liman are now reuniting forThe Initiative, which is being described as"Training Day set in the world of spycraft.“Jolie’s character will be a rogue spy known as Bright. She takes a new agent named Charlie under her wing, but Charlie doesn’t know if she wants to murder him or is simply doing what is needed in the world of espionage.
The script is being written by F. Scott Frazier, whose prior credits includexXx: Return of Xander Cage. Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum of RK Films, who previously worked on Netflix’sDamseland the rom-comAnyone But You, are attached to produce. Universal Studios and the creative team are looking to begin production in the first quarter of 2026.
What This Means For The Initiative
The Initiativeis major news for Jolie and Liman, who proved two decades ago withMr. & Mrs. Smiththat they could deliver an entertaining and commercially successful spy thriller.Mr. & Mrs. Smithis still one ofAngelina Jolie’s best movies, and she now has an opportunity to replicate that success in her reunion with Liman.
Jolie has done other action movies without Liman as well, includingWanted,Salt, andThe Tourist, but all of those films were released between 2008-2010.The Initiativeis now poised to be Jolie’s high-profile return to this genre. With production potentially beginning in early 2026, Jolie’s return to the action genre is a priority for Universal.
One significant difference betweenMr. & Mrs. SmithandThe Initiativeis that the upcoming movie seems like it will be more of a drama than an action-comedy story. This is because of the parallels toTraining Day, which is a crime thriller drama. It sounds like Jolie’s Bright will be this movie’s version of Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris, while Charlie will be the equivalent of Ethan Hawke’s Jake Hoyt.
Our Take On The Initiative
Many ofAngelina Jolie’s best performanceshave been in the action and spy thriller genres, which makes me excited to see her reteaming with Liman forThe Initiative. It feels like a fitting project and reunion for their respective careers, and I look forward to seeing how they have evolved as an actor and director.
Just as withMr. & Mrs. Smithand withTraining Day, the dynamic between the two central characters will be vital to the movie’s success. I’m intrigued to see who will be cast as Charlie oppositeAngelina Jolie’sBright and how their chemistry will compare to some of her past films.
