Liam Neeson has built quite the resume of action-packed work, whether it's thriller movies like Non-Stop and The Commuter, or genre fare like The Phantom Menace and Batman Begins. Now it looks like he's close to adding another project to that latter category, albeit one more humorous than what he usually acts in, as Neeson is reportedly being looked at join the upcoming Men in Black spinoff as the head of MIB's United Kingdom branch.
After three movies of following Agents J and K fight alien threats who are menacing our world, the next Men in Black movie will follow a new duo of agents, but rather than be a full-on reboot, this movie will exist in the same continuity as the earlier Men in Black entries. Variety reports that Liam Neeson is currently in talks to play a character high up in the MIB organization, and if he signs on, he'll appear alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Rip Torn's Agent Zed served as the head of MIB's United States branch in the first two Men in Black movies, and Emma Thompson's Agent O inherited his job in Men in Black 3.
The Men in Black movies have no shortage of science fiction elements, but they're also notable for being comedies. Liam Neeson doesn't dip his toes into that genre frequently, but when he does, it's often a treat. The last comedy movie Neeson had a starring role in was 2014's A Million Ways to Die in the West, but he also cameoed in 2015's Ted 2 and last year's Daddy's Home 2, as well as voiced himself in two episodes of Family Guy. Since Neeson would be playing the head of MIB's U.K. division in the Men in Black spinoff, presumably that means he'd be hanging out at headquarters and wouldn't be as involved in the more action-heavy beats alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson's characters. Still, this is Liam Neeson we're talking about, so it'd be nice if we could see him take down an alien opponent, be it with a laser gun or his fists.
No plot details for the Men in Black spinoff have been revealed yet, but this new movie will reportedly be more of an ensemble piece and will be more global in scope, which explains why the MIB's U.K. head is involved in the story. The Fate of the Furious' F. Gary Gray is taking over directing duties from Barry Sonnenfeld, and the script was written by Iron Man duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway.
The Men in Black spinoff will be released in theaters on May 17, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on how it's progressing. For now, check out our 2018 release schedule to learn what movies are coming out later this year, which includes Liam Neeson's Widows on November 16.
