Report: Sony Pictures Developing a New ‘Men in Black’ Film

A new ‘Men in Black‘ film is reportedly in the works at Sony Pictures, as confirmed by insider Daniel Richtman on his exclusive Patreon.

According to reports, no director has been attached yet to helm the film. However, it is currently in the development stage, with the script in preparation.

There is a higher chance that the new film will be a reboot of the previous Men in Black franchise. The first film was released in 1997, starring Will Smith as James Darrell Edwards III/Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Kevin Brown/Agent K. The film grossed over $589.4 million worldwide and was followed by two sequels: Men in Black II, released in 2002, and Men in Black 3 in 2012. The trilogy completed with a $1.7 billion worldwide box office.

The last film in the Men in Black film series is Men in Black: International, released in 2019, starring Chris Hemsworth as Henry/Agent H and Tessa Thompson as Molly Wright/Agent M. The film is also part of the original franchise and serves as a stand-alone sequel. It received negative reviews overall.

Does Will Smith return in the new ‘Men in Black’ film?

No, the film will not feature Smith or Lee Jones. New cast members will be added, but the film will be set in the same universe as the previous films.

During an interview on Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Heart” talk show (via Insider), Smith shared a story about Spielberg sending a helicopter to bring him in for a meeting, where Spielberg questioned Smith’s concerns about ‘Men in Black.’

Smith said, “In the heyday, the 10 movies I made at the top of my career, [James] was choosing the films.” Smith added, “He just had an eye. I didn’t want to make ‘Pursuit of Happyness.’ I didn’t want to make ‘Ali.’ And [James] picked ‘Men in Black.’ I kind of understood ‘Men in Black’ a little bit but I didn’t want to make ‘Men in Black.’ That was the next year after ‘Independence Day.’ So I didn’t want to make two alien movies back to back.”

Smith continued, “Steven Spielberg sent a helicopter for me to talk to me.” Smith added, “I was in New York. It landed at his house. And, like, he had me at hello. And it was the first time I ever had lemonade with carbonated water. You can’t say no to that.”

How long do we have to wait for the official announcement from Sony? We still have no idea about it. However, it is expected to come within this fall. The franchise has never failed to attract viewers, so Sony keeps that as a priority.