‘Men in Black 5’ in the Works at Sony

It’s time to break out those shades. Sony Pictures has tapped Chris Bremner, the writer of “Bad Boys For Life” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” to draft a script for a fifth film in the “Men in Black” franchise.

It’s unclear if Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones will return as Agent J and Agent K, the two alien-hunting operatives who anchored three of the four previous films. However, Bremner’s involvement could prove enticing for Smith, who did star in the two “Bad Boys” films that he wrote. Sony previously tried to reboot the series with 2019’s “Men in Black: International,” bringing in Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as new agents, but the film was a financial disappointment, grossing $253.9 million on a budget of more than $100 million. But Sony clearly thinks the property still has value. Collectively, the films have grossed more than $1.9 billion.

Bremner also wrote “The Man From Toronto,” a mistaken identity comedy that starred Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson. It premiered on Netflix in 2022. He also wrote “Fast & Loose,” a Netflix film that is expected to star Smith.

The first “Men in Black” hit theaters in 1997 on the heels of “Independence Day.” Smith and Jones’ chemistry helped turn it into a summer blockbuster, and sequels followed in 2002 and 2012. Smith’s company, Westbrook, recently announced a deal with Paramount, but the actor has kept a lower profile since the Oscar slap controversy.

Bremner is repped by WME and Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment.

Sony had no comment on this report. Deadline first reported that a new “Men in Black” is in development.