Will Smith may soon be ditching his black suit and sunglasses as Sony Pictures looks to reboot the Men in Black franchise and bring the actor back. The studio has hired Lifetime screenwriter Chris Bremner to draft a new script, hoping to ride on Smith’s recent box office rebound to reignite the sci-fi series.
The decision comes after Smith returned to theaters with “Battlefield,” which grossed $56 million in its June 2024 opening weekend. This is his first major release since the 2022 Oscars incident, showing that audiences still show support for the Hollywood veteran.
Sony’s move mirrors the pattern of “Bad Boys” sequels, both of which were penned by Bremner. “Bad Boys” and “Ride or Die” have grossed more than $837 million at the global box office combined, proving that the writers know how to build a crowd-pleasing action comedy around Smith’s star power.
Bremner has become a regular collaborator with Smith and has also written the upcoming Netflix thriller Fast and Loose, which is expected to be Smith’s next project. His familiarity with Smith-led stories made him an obvious choice for the next chapter of “Men in Black.”
Smith’s original “Men in Black” trilogy, starring Tommy Lee Jones, earned nearly $2 billion at the global box office between 1997 and 2012. But the 2019 reboot of “Men in Black: Planet Earth” starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson failed to resonate with audiences, grossing only $253 million at the global box office.
The poor performance prompted Sony to rethink its strategy. This time around, executives wanted Smith to be involved from the beginning, either in a starring role or a mentor role, similar to Sylvester Stallone’s role in the “Creed” movies. The goal is to restore continuity with the original trilogy by bringing back Agent J in some form.
While no plot details have been released, the studio plans to send Smith the script once Bremner completes a draft. Smith has not officially signed on but is expected to consider the project after reading the script.
The timing is consistent with Smith’s ongoing image rebuilding. His recent success in Ride or Die and the upcoming Netflix film suggest the studio is confident in his ability to captivate audiences once again. Sony is betting his return could turn a risky franchise revival into a box office hit.
Producers Walter F. Parks and Laurie Macdonald, who have worked on every Men in Black movie, will likely return. Steven Spielberg is also expected to remain as executive producer, maintaining continuity behind the scenes.
Sony’s strategy reflects a broader trend in Hollywood to revive legacy franchises with original stars rather than starting from scratch. With Smith returning, the studio hopes to avoid the pitfalls of the last reboot and recapture the magic that made the original trilogy a global hit.
Bremner’s involvement suggests Sony intends to prioritize storytelling over speed. His track record with Smith suggests the studio is aiming for smart, commercially viable reboots rather than rushed sequels.
Smith’s decision will likely come after Bremner delivers the script, which is currently in development.
