'Men in Black' Spinoff News: F. Gary Grey In Talks To Direct New Film
The "Men in Black" spinoff may finally have its new director.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Sony is in talks with "Straight Outta Compton" helmer F. Gary Grey to direct the next installment of the sci-fi action film franchise.
The upcoming spinoff will reportedly introduce new characters since it will not be a straight reboot, just like what Universal Pictures did with "Jurassic World" in 2015 when they decided to add another installment to the "Jurassic Park" franchise. This means that Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K and Will Smith's Agent J may not appear in the spinoff.
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While details about the spinoff film remain under wraps, film producer Laurie MacDonald told BBC in November 2015 that the upcoming movie will involve a woman in the story. "There will be a prominent woman in black in the fourth [film]," she stated.
MacDonald's husband and co-producer Walter Parkes also addressed the rumors at that time that Smith will not be part of the film. According to Parkes, "Never count Will out." But they did not mention anything about Jones' possible return in the franchise.
The original "Men in Black" movie was first released in 1997, and it earned a total of $589 million during that time. Two sequels followed in 2002 and 2012, helping the entire franchise to earn over $1.5 billion globally.
Grey's recent projects earned critical and commercial success. His contribution to the "Fast and Furious" franchise titled "The Fate of the Furious" became one of the biggest films that was released in 2017 after grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. He also earned praises for his 2015 film "Straight Otta Compton" that centers on the real stories of the members of gangsta rap group N.W.A.
If Grey and Sony managed to reach an agreement about directing the "Men in Black" movie spinoff, the film will debut in the cinemas on June 14, 2019.
