Men in Black is a trilogy that probably should have just ended after the original movie. The third film was better than the second one, but still — it didn’t seem like the filmmakers really had much to say after the first movie, which was more of a star vehicle for Will Smith and a showcase for what, at the time, were pretty impressive special effects.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, MIB producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald confirmed that not only is there a reboot in the works, but there are bigger plans for the franchise to continue on:
You produced Men in Black. Has there been talk of reviving that franchise with the new Sony regime?
PARKES: We’re in the middle of it. It’s very active.
Is Will Smith going to be part of it?
PARKES: Most likely no.
MACDONALD: It will be reinvented as a trilogy.
THR failed to ask them whether this newly reinvented trilogy would be the potential crossover with the 21 Jump Street movies, but I’m sure Sony wouldn’t think twice about linking both of those franchises together if it meant they could make money on three more films. Alone, Men in Black and Jump Street sequels probably wouldn’t do that well (the current narratives of both have been played out), but combined, curiosity might be enough to get people to come see what the heck a crossover between them would look like. If development is indeed “very active,” we should probably be hearing something about this in an official capacity from Sony soon.