Men in Black is a franchise with a long history (with three films since 1997 grossing over $1.5 billion worldwide) and many rumors of reboots, including a clean and rad and powerful 21 Jump Street crossover with a sequel-mocking title. That crossover never came together, but Sony planned a different spin-off anyway, with a script from Iron Man screenwriters Matt Holloway and Art Marcum and a tentative release date of June 14th, 2019. Now they seem serious about hitting the release date, as they’re lining up a director and actors.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Hemsworth is negotiating to play one of the new agents of MiB, and F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton, The Fate of the Furious) is in talks to direct. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith aren’t expected to return. Sony is reportedly (as was previously rumored) seeking a black woman to play the partner to Hemsworth’s character.
They’re also seeking an older male actor for an unspecified role. It’s going to be hard to find a match for Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn. We’re assuming whoever can engage Tommy Lee Jones in a glaring contest for a full minute without crying will get the part…
(Via The Hollywood Reporter and The Tracking Board)