ON THE HARD WORK OF COMEDY

Dwayne Johnson (Agent 23): ''Steve Carell has very soft lips. You didn't hear that from me, but it made kissing him easier. I think he moisturizes.''

Carell: ''They tried to make it an origin story so we could see where Maxwell Smart came from. I came up with things that were original to the character, and it is my take on Maxwell Smart.... A lot of people assume he is just a bumbling idiot but he's not. I see him as eager and smart, but a bit counterintuitive. He is thrust into this world of spies and he can handle himself fairly well up to a point — and then we get the comedy. He is eccentric and different but lovable, not unlike Michael from The Office: He always means well.''

Hathaway: ''I had so much fun playing with these boys. And I got to hold my own with them, more importantly, because it was always in the script that I got to win. They are such good boys, too, because they never seemed to mind being showed up by a girl.''

ON WHETHER THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL

Peter Segal (director): ''I always start a project thinking about how I would feel if it was presented to me as a moviegoer: Would I want to see this movie? And when I saw that Steve Carell had signed on, I thought it was perfect. I thought it was interesting to find out where Max came from and how he met 99, and I think there is a generation out there who isn't familiar with the original so this brings them in as well. Showing how it all began, as in Casino Royale or Batman Begins, was an interesting and successful way of rebooting and reinvigorating a franchise.... Of course I would be willing to do a sequel. I had more fun on this movie than anything I have ever worked on before. But I don't know if there will be one. This took a long time to make and come together, so I'm sure they would be careful with a sequel. Also, [this film] would have to be successful, and there would have to be a demand for No. 2.''

Carell: ''If [this] goes well and people want to see more of me as Maxwell Smart and they want to see another one, I'd love to do it. I think a second one would be bigger and better than the first. That's how action comedy sequels work, right? That's my assumption. More action, more bad guys, more jokes, more me making a fool out of myself while Anne Hathaway gets to look smart and beautiful and cool.''

Hathaway: ''In a heartbeat. I think there are endless story angles for a sequel. This one preserves the heart of the TV series but also makes it and the situations they encounter very current and modern. I love all the bits with the thinly veiled president played by James Caan. Peter Segal is a genius and Steve is genius and I had fun wearing cool trench coats and shooting guns and kicking booties. It was just a lot of fun, so I would come back for a sequel in a heartbeat. And I've already done a sequel [The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement] so it isn't like I have shame about revisiting a character that works.''

Johnson: ''They've already got the easy title for a second one — Get Smarter. Bam! Done!''

Charles Roven (producer): ''I don't count my chickens before they hatch.''

ON GET SMART'S BOX OFFICE PROSPECTS

Johnson: ''I think more people will see this than [my indie bomb] Southland Tales. Get Smart is slightly more accessible.''

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