John Mulaney is now reported to be actively eyeing the lead role of Agent Maxwell Smart in Warner Bros' planned reimagining of Get Smart, marking a firmer step than the previous "in talks" reports, according to Deadline. The screenplay is being written by Seth Grahame-Smith, with Chuck Roven and Andrew Lazar producing, and the project remains in early development, but the pairing of the four-time Emmy winner with the beloved spy-spoof role has generated notable buzz given his recent run of high-profile successes.

Get Smart, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, ran for 138 episodes from 1965 to 1970 and won seven Emmys, with Don Adams originating the bumbling Agent 86 opposite Barbara Feldon's Agent 99. The franchise has since spawned a 1980 film, a 1989 TV sequel, a brief 1995 revival, and a 2008 Warner Bros. film starring Steve Carell that grossed $230.6 million worldwide. Mulaney, fresh off headlining a sold-out show at Wrigley Field and with a nine-venue New York run, "Mulaney Takes Manhattan," announced for January, has also been confirmed to appear in the upcoming David O. Russell film Madden alongside Nicolas Cage.