Much like the double life that the series' characters are living, the block letters that make up the titles for CBS' new drama, True Lies, flip around at the end to reveal a new point of view.
The motion design, crafted by Miami-based Lava Studios and integrated with footage from the series, is an original CGI illusion and a “sly tip of the hat” to James Cameron's original 1994 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Lava's title animation is the culmination of a wide-ranging conceptual exploration with the creative team at 20th Television.
“True Lies is a fun show, and we had a great time exploring ways to tell the backstory in an extended animated title sequence,” said Lava's Robert Kirkpatrick in a statement, “but ultimately it was agreed that the simpler iconic title transformation fit the show best.”
True Lies stars Steve Howey as Harry, a spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector, and Ginger Gonzaga as Helen, a language professor bored with her daily routine and her marriage. Things get spicy quickly, however, when Helen discovers what her seemingly bland husband really does for a living. After being thrust into the spy life, Helen finds she takes to it - thanks to her fitness regime of Tae Bo and yoga – and she ends up joining Harry and his team of operatives on covert missions all over the globe. Meanwhile, Harry and Helen are now both keeping a secret from their three teenage children. But, as Harry says, if you're going to save the world, you might as well do it for the ones you love.
True Lies is Lava's third collaboration with co-producer Peter M. Tassler, having previously teamed up for Just Beyond on Disney Plus and Fox's Monarch.
True Lies debuted Wednesday, March 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount Plus.