Although Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones re-teamed back in 2012 for Men in Black 3, 10 years after the previous installment of the alien-policing film series was released, it appears that will be the last time we see Agents J and K together. The Men in Black series is continuing, but instead the next movie will star brand-new leads and mark a fresh start for the series, akin to how Jurassic World relaunched the Jurassic Park franchise. Sony Pictures currently has the new Men in Black movie scheduled for 2019, but now it looks like this project is even closer to becoming a reality, as The Fate of the Furious' F. Gary Gray is being eyed to direct.
According to Deadline, F. Gary Gray is the #1 choice to direct the new Men in Black movie, and now negotiations are underway for him to take on helming duties. Gray's credits include The Italian Job, A Man Apart and Law Abiding Citizen, but in recent years he's made waves with 2015's Straight Outta Compton and 2017's The Fate of the Furious. If a deal is finalized, this Men in Black movie will be another way for him to strengthen his blockbuster resume. Iron Man writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcun penned the script.
Ever since Men in Black 3 came out, Sony has been trying to bring back the Men in Black series back to the big screen. A direct sequel, i.e. Men in Black 4, was kicked around for a bit, but with neither Will Smith nor Tommy Lee Jones returning, it appears that's been set aside. Then there was MIB23, a crossover which would have seen some MIB agents teaming up with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill's 21 Jump Street characters. It's unclear if that bonkers project could still happen, but for now, Sony has settled on this new Men in Black movie, which is described as a "spinoff" that will continue following the basic premise of a covert organization filled with well-dressed operatives who make sure Earth's alien population stays hidden in plain sight from the general public. The movie will feature an all-new cast of characters, so if it helps, think of this as Men in Black: The Next Generation.
Coming off Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle's incredible success, it's not surprising that Sony is keen on relaunching one of its blockbuster properties. Sure it will be weird not seeing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones battling alien threats together, but at least the Men in Black organization lends itself well to bringing in new leading protagonists, and ideally this new movie can appeal to both longtime fans of the original movies and newcomers. That said, just like how Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is bringing back Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm, I can't help but wonder if Smith and/or Jones might be willing to return in a sequel to this "spinoff," assuming that is greenlit.
The new Men in Black movie will be released in theaters on June 14, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates. In the meantime, you can browse through our 2018 release schedule to find out what's hitting theaters this year.
