Here comes the Men In Black's new screenwriter

Another attempt at rebooting the 1997 blockbuster is invading Hollywood.

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  December 4, 2025 | 6:25pm
(Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)
Film News Men In Black
Here comes the Men In Black's new screenwriter

Now that our memories of Men In Black: International and Channing Tatum’s enthusiasm for 21 Jump Street Meets The Men In Black have been neuralyzed, Deadline reports that Sony is plotting a Ballchinian revival. After managing to relaunch the Bad Boys series for a post-slap economy, screenwriter Chris Bremer, who wrote the two sequels for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, will pen a new Men In Black sequel for Sony.

It’s unclear what kind of Men In Black movie this would be, but Deadline notes that Will Smith will be the first to read the script upon completion, with hopes of him suiting up as Agent J. again. (Is Tommy Lee Jones chopped liver?) Bremer wrote Bad Boys: Ride Or Die to help ease Smith back into moviestardom, and it worked. The film included a joke about Will Smith slapping people and audiences lapped it up to the tune of $400 million. Smith is still trying to recalibrate his image after slapping the shit out of Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. Since Bad Boys, he has retreated to rapping and retelling his Matrix story.

The idea of bringing back the Men In Black in legacy-sequel form doesn’t inspire much excitement. Like Jurassic Park, there has never been a good Men In Black sequel, and we see no reason to start making a good one now, especially considering how much money lousy ones make. But hope springs eternal, and maybe squeezing back into an Edgar suit and demanding sugar water from audiences is just the thing Smith’s career needs right now.

 
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