“Men in Black” is back.
Sony is developing a new entry in the long-running franchise and have tasked “Bad Boys for Life” writer Chris Bremner with writing a new script. Bremner also worked on the fourth film in the franchise, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which was released last summer. Obviously Bremner’s connection with another franchise starring Will Smith would suggest that Smith might return for this new “Men in Black” entry, but sources close to the project reiterate that this is in very early stages.
The last attempt at an expansion of the franchise happened in 2019 with “Men in Black: International,” which starred Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as newer members of the secret organization that monitors extraterrestrial activity on earth. It was something of a disappointment, making only $253.9 million on a budget north of $100 million, and failed to reenergize the series.
By comparison, the last franchise to star Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, 2012’s “Men in Black 3,” made north of $654 million.
The movies are based on a comic book series written by Lowell Cunningham, illustrated by Sandy Carruthers, and originally published by Aircel Comics (later Malibu Comics), based on the widely held mythology around mysterious Men in Black, who visit those who have had encounters with UFOs. The series ran for six issues between January 1990 and July 1991, but the franchise has been active since 1997.
There was also a “Men in Black” animated series, that ran for 53 episodes between 1997 and 2000 and an interactive Universal Studios theme park attraction, Men in Black: Alien Attack, located at Universal Studios Florida. There were also aborted attempts at a fourth film with Smith, Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld, as well as a “Men in Black”/”21 Jump Street” crossover movie, which was revealed during the Sony hack, loosely dubbed “MIB 23.”
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