The "Men in Black" franchise was one of Sony Pictures' most popular, so it makes sense that the company would want to make a reboot. But can a remake hold its own against the original without one major factor?
Longtime married producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald — who are responsible not only for "MIB," but other iconic films like "Gladiator" and "The Ring" — sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to talk about some of their upcoming projects. When asked about a revival of fan favorite "MIB," they said exactly what we were hoping to here. "We're in the middle of it," revealed Parkes. "It's very active."
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones played Agent J and Agent K in all three original films, marking one of Smith's greatest roles to date. Unfortunately, the producers are looking to do these reboots without the actor. "Most likely no," said Parkes when asked if Smith would be a part of it. "It will be reinvented as a trilogy," added Macdonald.
While reinvented could mean many things, the producers didn't give away any other details, according to Entertainment Weekly. A remake could mean anything from the same exact stories as the first three, a reboot in a new universe or new stories told in the same continuity. Sony had no comment on the producers' revelations. It is also unclear if Tommy Lee Jones would be taking any part in the remake.
The first "Men in Black" film was released in 1997 and, five years later, a sequel came out. Nearly a decade after that, in 2012, the last and third "MIB" flick hit theaters. The third installment grossed $624 million, which still failed to equal the earnings of the first two films.
Back in 2013, rumors about a "Men in Black 4" started going around, the Wrap reported at the time. Apparently, Oren Uziel scored the screenwriting gig, and Sony started the development, but kept details pretty quiet. It was unclear when the movie would be released, and not much has been spoken about it since.
