Info in Movie News | Sony Pictures is preparing to suit up again as the Men in Black universe moves toward a fresh revival, this time supported by new development momentum at the studio. After the Bad Boys franchise successfully relaunched in recent years, Sony appears eager to apply the same strategy to another classic sci-fi comedy property, and the timing could not be better as the industry continues mining legacy franchises for their next big wave of stories.
According to Deadline, the screenplay for the next Men in Black movie is currently being written by Chris Bremner, the writer behind Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys, Ride or Die. Sony intends to include Agent J in the very first draft, making the character a central part of the new storyline before any major creative direction is locked in. Once the script is finished, Will Smith will be among the first to read it, although insiders emphasize that he is not attached. The question of whether he will come back as Agent J is a matter that will be decided by the plot, meaning that he could be a main character if that is the case or just a supporting, passing the torch type appearance that is used by most long-run franchises to connect generations.
Additional information from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety confirms that Sony has not decided who will direct the movie or who will be in the cast. It is also reported that there is no suggestion of Tommy Lee Jones reprising his role as Agent K. What is apparent is that Sony continues to consider Men in Black as one of its most cherished heritage assets. The franchise has been a great success worldwide, grossing over $1.9 billion, which is still very inviting to the studio to continue breathing life into their strongest brands despite the latest instalment's, Men in Black, International, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson were the leads, and it made $253.9 million globally, has had mixed results.
It seems that the poor performance of International has led Sony to go back and rethink the identity that gave the franchise its face, i.e., the excellent character interaction revolving around the original leads. The first time the Men in Black movie was released in 1997, the duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones quickly became a cultural landmark. Based on Malibu or Marvel comics by Lowell Cunningham and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the movie was an innovative mix of alien tracking mayhem, government secrecy, and buddy cop humor which was the main reason it was different from other sci-fi movies of that time. The movie surpassed $589 million at the global box office and established Agent J and Agent K as one of the era’s most memorable duos.
Men in Black II arrived in 2002, continuing the chemistry driven storytelling as J and K reunited to battle Serleena, a dangerous Kylothian villain. The follow-up raked in more than $441 million globally. After ten years, Men in Black 3 came out with a time travel plot that emotionally deepened the relationship of J and K, particularly when J was with the younger version of K to fix a damaged timeline. The movie made over $624 million, thus, firmly establishing the franchise as a fanbase of worldwide audiences.
Considering the past, it is a smart move with regard to Sony that Chris Bremner is onboard. He has already helped revitalize another long running franchise, writing two successful Bad Boys movies that earned a combined $837 million globally. In addition, he is the first writer contacted when there are projects related to Will Smith, and among his work are the credits for The Man from Toronto and Fast & Loose, which is a Netflix action film in which Smith is anticipated to star. Sony appears confident that Bremner can capture the balance of humor, emotion, and sci fi energy that defined the original trilogy.
Will Smith himself has also hinted that a return may be possible. In an interview with Blex Media earlier this year, he revealed that he received a new Men in Black offer just one hour before the interview, despite having previously decided to step away from sequels. He humorously mentioned that he had actually planned a summer tour, implying that the proposal's timing was just too good to be true.
While the project is still very much a seed idea, Sony’s way of doing things first with a screenplay focused on Agent J, seems to be a very conscious move towards reviving the movie’s roots and reuniting with the characters emotionally. If everything goes as planned, fans will probably be able to witness the return of the iconic black suits, memory erasers, and alien diplomacy in theaters, albeit refreshed for the new generation but still retaining the connection to the legacy that made Men in Black a worldwide success.
Source Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety
Post a Comment