Here come the Men in Black…again. Dormant for seven years now, the action-comedy-science fiction franchise has been hauled out of stasis for a new feature. Sony has tapped Chris Bremner, who successfully revived another Will Smith-based buddy franchise when he penned 2020’s Bad Boys For Life, to script the sequel.

According to reports, the plan is to include Smith in the film if he agrees to do so; he is not currently attached to the project, nor will he be until he sees the script. In addition to Bad Boys For Life, which grossed $426 million USD on a $90 million budget, reviving the long-dormant action franchise, Bremner also penned its sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, as well as the Kevin Hart–Woody Harrelson actioner The Man From Toronto. He also wrote the script for Fast and Loose, a new action film that will star Smith once it finds a new director; Michael Bay departed the project due to creative differences earlier this year. He has also been attached to a new National Treasure film and a live-action adaptation of the 1980s cartoon and toyline M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand).

What Is ‘Men In Black’ About?

Based on a 1990 comic book series written by Lowell Cunningham, illustrated by Sandy Carruthers, and published by Aircel Comics (which was eventually absorbed by Marvel), Men in Black centers around a covert agency that monitors extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The first film, which was released in 1997, sees veteran agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) recruit an NYPD officer, later designated J (Smith) to join the organization; they quickly become embroiled in the machinations of a monstrous alien insect (Vincent D’Onofrio). Despite retiring at the end of the first film, K reunited with J for 2002’s Men in Black II, for a case involving the serpentine alien Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle). 2012’s Men in Black 3 sent J back in time to 1969 to work with a younger K (Josh Brolin) against the renegade alien Boris (Jermaine Clement). 2019’s Men in Black: International went in a different direction, following two new MIB agents, played by Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth. The franchise also spawned a well-regarded animated series, which followed up on the events of the first film.

Buoyed by the chemistry of its two leads, lively direction from Barry Sonnenfeld (The Addams Family), and a clever script from Ed Solomon (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure), Men in Black was the surprise summer hit of 1997, both with critics and the box office. Subsequent sequels have struggled with both at times; International grossed $253 million on a $110 million budget, and earned a woeful 23% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

A new Men in Black movie is in development.

via Collider