Alien hunting sci-fi franchise Men in Black is getting another revival movie, six years on from 2019's less than stellar reboot which put Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in the starring roles, failing to land among fans of the original films. Those same fans will be happy to know that the producers of the new film are hoping to bring back one of the early franchise's top stars, Will Smith (via Deadline).
That said, Smith hasn't signed on just yet, but a script is in the works by Bad Boys for Life writer Chris Bremner, so it's entirely likely that Smith will like what he sees, as the pair have worked together on the aforementioned franchise revival movie. Plot details are still unknown.
Created by writer Lowell Cunningham and artist Sandy Carruthers, Men in Black originated as a comic book through indie publisher Aircel Comics. Aircel was later purchased by long-lost '90s publisher Malibu Comics, who were then acquired by Marvel, meaning MiB is technically a Marvel property. Nonetheless, the film will be produced by Sony, which has its own Spider-Man spin-off universe.
The concept of Men in Black originates as a "high strangeness" phenomenon involving visitations by men in suits who arrive to interrogate people after they have alleged encounters with aliens. That core conceit transfers over to the movie franchise.
However, in their folkloric incarnation, the Men in Black appear as vaguely inhuman beings with odd, almost mechanical mannerisms, more like the version of the concept that appears in Fox's mid-'00s sci-fi series Fringe.
There's no release date yet for the new Men in Black movie. For more, check out our picks for the best sci-fi movies of all time.
