Sony has struggled through several brutal years, but it seems like the studio may finally be hitting some kind of stride. Even with the failure of would-be franchise starters like Ghostbusters, The Dark Tower, and the Amazing Spider-Man series, hope has arrived in unexpected places. Sleeper hits have contributed to Sony's clout as a distributor of mid-budget offerings, but their most spectacular success came in the form of last year's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. And beyond the prospect of a Jumanji franchise, Sony has plenty of enticing projects on the horizon. One of their biggest upcoming films is the untitled Men in Black adventure, which will find Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson replacing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Sony has been trying to get a new Men in Black movie off the ground since the third film was released in 2012, even attempting to blend the series with the 21 Jump Street franchise at one point. But with Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray at the helm, it looks like this sequel is finally moving forward.
Yesterday, Variety exclusively revealed another major bit of casting information for the film, announcing that Liam Neeson is in discussions for a supporting role. Neeson will play the head of the Men in Black agency in the United Kingdom, similar to how Rip Torn played the head of the American agency. Should the deal go through, Neeson will join Hemsworth and Thompson, two Marvel megastars with significant fanbases, in what is shaping up to be a blockbuster outing. While the exact plot of the film is still an unknown, Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, the duo responsible for Iron Man and Transformers: The Last Knight (uhhh...), are on script duties. Neeson last appeared in Jaume Collet-Serra's The Commuter, the latest in a long string of old-school action vehicles for the actor. He'll next star in Steve McQueen's Widows, which features a stunning ensemble and will hit theaters in the fall.
I've been mixed on the idea of a new Men in Black movie, simply because I've never cared that much for the franchise in the first place. The original film is passably entertaining, but it's nothing special. However, I'm growing increasingly optimistic about this film, mainly due to the level of talent involved. Hemsworth has proven his comedic and dramatic chops over the last few years in an impressive way, Thompson has done terrific work in films like Thor: Ragnarok and Creed, and few actors in the business are as versatile as Liam Neeson. I'm intrigued to see how Sony and F. Gary Gray round out this cast in the coming months. Look for more on this new Men in Black movie as we approach production.
The still-untitled film will hit theaters on May 17, 2019.
Image: Lionsgate
Poster: Sony/IMDb
Yesterday, Variety exclusively revealed another major bit of casting information for the film, announcing that Liam Neeson is in discussions for a supporting role. Neeson will play the head of the Men in Black agency in the United Kingdom, similar to how Rip Torn played the head of the American agency. Should the deal go through, Neeson will join Hemsworth and Thompson, two Marvel megastars with significant fanbases, in what is shaping up to be a blockbuster outing. While the exact plot of the film is still an unknown, Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, the duo responsible for Iron Man and Transformers: The Last Knight (uhhh...), are on script duties. Neeson last appeared in Jaume Collet-Serra's The Commuter, the latest in a long string of old-school action vehicles for the actor. He'll next star in Steve McQueen's Widows, which features a stunning ensemble and will hit theaters in the fall.
I've been mixed on the idea of a new Men in Black movie, simply because I've never cared that much for the franchise in the first place. The original film is passably entertaining, but it's nothing special. However, I'm growing increasingly optimistic about this film, mainly due to the level of talent involved. Hemsworth has proven his comedic and dramatic chops over the last few years in an impressive way, Thompson has done terrific work in films like Thor: Ragnarok and Creed, and few actors in the business are as versatile as Liam Neeson. I'm intrigued to see how Sony and F. Gary Gray round out this cast in the coming months. Look for more on this new Men in Black movie as we approach production.
The still-untitled film will hit theaters on May 17, 2019.
Image: Lionsgate
Poster: Sony/IMDb
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