When Empire visited Robert Rodriguez’ Troublemaker Studios recently, the place was a hive of activity focused on the new **Spy Kids **film, which bears the subtitle All The Time In The World. And there is one truly new piece of information emerging as the filmmaker announces the start of actual shooting: Jeremy Piven has signed on to play the villain.
He’ll appear as the evil Timekeeper, a man threatening to take over the planet. His maniacal behaviour leads to retired spy Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) getting called back to duty after settling into family life married to spy-tracking TV reporter Wilbur (Joel McHale).
Trouble is, her life isn’t all peaches and cream: she’s got a new baby to deal with and her step kids, precocious 10-year-olds Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook) don’t exactly like their stepmom. And they can’t stop bickering. But all that has to be put aside when the OSS reactivates the defunct Spy Kids division and recruits them to help save the world.
And they’ll have help from some experienced members of the team, with Antonio Banderas back as Gregorio Cortez (hhm… sounds like Alba might be related to him) along with original spy sprogs Juni (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Uncle Machete himself, Danny Trejo.
Of course we all know Piven’s villain will either get taken down by his wife (Entourage joke!) or some mercury-filled sushi (not-so-topical reference!)
With Rodriguez on writing/directing duty again, Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World will be released on August 19.