“True Lies” was one of the most popular films of the early 1990s, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a super spy and Jamie Lee Curtis as his initially clueless wife who thinks he’s a computer salesman. According to Deadline Hollywood, an effort is underway to bring the movie to the Small Screen as a series. James Cameron, the director of the original film, is involved, as is McG, who successfully brought the film “Lethal Weapon” to television.
‘True Lies’ combined action and comedy
“True Lies” starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as super spy Harry Tasker and Tom Arnold as his long-suffering partner.
The top-secret organization was tasked with stopping nuclear terrorism. The comedy element came into play due to Harry’s wife Helen being utterly clueless about her husband’s real work until midway into the movie. The film had a subplot about a sleazy used car salesman played by the late Bill Paxton who is pretending to be a spy to get Helen into bed. A young Eliza Dushku played Harry’s and Helen’s daughter Dana who plays a crucial role in the resolution of a terrorist threat.
“True Lies” was noted for its honest portrayal of Islamic terrorism, even in the pre-911 era, with the bad guys being fanatical Muslims who are out to commit nuclear blackmail. Even in an era where Al Qaeda and ISIS commit atrocities on a daily basis, Hollywood is often reluctant to make Muslims the heavies in films and TV shows for fear of being labeled “Islamophobic.” The only concession that Cameron made was to provide Schwarzenegger and Arnold with a Muslim partner, signally that people of the Islamic faith can be the good guys as well.
Even so, Cameron came into savage criticism, which was likely one factor why “True Lies” never got a sequel.
What will be the approach of ‘True Lies: The Series’
The likely approach would be to have Harry, Helen, and the rest be played by younger actors and for the film to be updated to 21st Century realities. Will the TV show be as honest as the movie in depicting Islamic terrorism?
“24” was to some extent, but even then the show’s star, Keiffer Sutherland was obliged to cut a PSA that stated the obvious that not all Muslims want to kill us. “Homeland” seems to have taken the side of the enemy.
One approach the series could do is to make the daughter from the movie, Dana, the super spy and her husband the clueless spouse who slowly gets drawn into the web of espionage, reversing the genders of the movie characters. Then maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger could have a reoccurring role as the head of the spy agency, having retired from field world for management.
