An Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Is Rebooted For A New Series
Arnold Schwarzenegger fans will be happy that a reboot of one of his biggest hits has officially been greenlit and is on its way.
Fans of the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring True Lies are in luck, as the reboot series has just been picked up for a full season. CBS had enough confidence to add it to their midseason lineup, so you’ll get to see a new spin on the popular 1994 James Cameron classic.
True Lies will follow a similar plot to the movie, with an unfulfilled suburban housewife finding out her dull computer consultant husband is actually an international spy. It seems like we’ll be getting that mix of comedy and action that made the original so beloved. Steve Howey will be playing the Arnold Schwarzenegger role with Ginger Gonzaga in the Jamie Lee Curtis role. The series is brought to us by Matt Nix, McG, Cameron, and 20th Television. James Cameron is also on as an executive producer.
While it’s not necessary to watch the original True Lies to follow the story of the TV series, it might be worth checking out if you haven’t seen it yet. It reunites the winning duo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron for an entertaining film. It’s far from the best collaboration between the two, but it certainly brings the spectacle. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets to flex his comedy chops instead of just his muscles and Jamie Lee Curtis shines as his beleaguered companion. Bill Paxton also does great work as the sleazeball trying to sleep with Curtis. It’s very much an early ’90s action flick, so if that’s your cup of tea you might have a good time with it. The practical action was also very well done. The movie did well with critics and audiences. It currently has a 69% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 76% from audiences. Of course, being an Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron blockbuster, it also made tons of money. Though it had a hefty budget, it managed to more than triple it by making over $378 million worldwide.
One thing that the reboot of True Lies can definitely fix is the super-racist portrayals of the antagonists in the movie. One of the movie’s most infamous transgressions is how the Middle Eastern characters are steeped in racist stereotypes. The villains are just over-the-top evil terrorists and it has not aged well at all. Hopefully, the villains in the new TV show will be a far cry from these characters. Even worse is the alleged sexual abuse that happened to the then 12-year-old actress Eliza Dushku by the film’s stunt coordinator Joel Kramer. These problematic elements have certainly marred what is an otherwise enjoyable blockbuster.
While those issues make the movie hard to revisit, the new series comes without any of that baggage. So, if you like the premise of True Lies and the good elements of the original, you can check out the new series worry-free. In addition to Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga, the series also stars Erica Hernandez, Omar Miller, Mike O’Gorman, Annabella Didion, and Lucas Jaye. We should be seeing it hit the small screen on the midseason lineup.
