It's been more than seven years since the last time the Men in Black donned their plastic Ray-Bans to take on extraterrestrial threats. Now, Columbia Pictures is moving forward with a sequel in the hopes that those years hasn't acted as a Neuralyzer to fans of the property, greenlighting "Men In Black III" for development just in time for nostalgia to kick in.
Variety reports that Etan Cohen, the screenwriter behind "Tropic Thunder," has been hired to handle scripting chores for the franchise's pending third installment.
So far, the studio hasn't commented on the project's pending plot, cast or general tone, but given Cohen's comedy background, the perceived "dark" trend in comic book adaptations doesn't seem to be suspect in this instance despite the source material's intensity.
There's been no confirmation of Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones' official involvement in the threequel, but as Variety points out, it's unlikely Columbia would risk a property known for producing summer blockbusters without their participation. Of course, stranger things have happened—especially in secret government organizations that monitor aliens.
This isn't Cohen's first time handling a comics-friendly property. His writing credits include projects ranging from early "Beavis and Butt-Head" to "King of the Hill," "Recess" and "American Dad" episodes. The writer also has a toy connection with his recent ties to a live action film based on Hasbro's "Candyland" board game.
The film debut of "Men in Black" in 1997 came seven years after the original comic book miniseries launched in 1990, making the upcoming 2010 a sort of 20th anniversary for the property. Whether Columbia will emphasize the franchise's comic book connection to help promote further film developments remains to be seen, but Splash Page will be watching.
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