First outed during Sony’s calamitous hacking scandal of 2014, that Men in Black/Jump Street movie is on the verge of becoming a reality, having appointed director James Bobin at the helm and nabbed an official title in MIB 23.
Currently doing the press rounds for Alice Through the Looking Glass, Bobin was quizzed about the franchise crossover while speaking with Collider. Considering that MIB 23 is without a firm release date, we’ve only caught fleeting teases of what to expect from Sony’s event film up until now, but Bobin did hint that Jenko and Schmidt – the two sons of bitches that they are – could be going to the Men in Black headquarters before the year’s end.
Bobin began by dancing around specifics, noting that MIB 23 stands as the “working title” for the time being, before addressing the critics that have called the core concept into question.
“I understand that reaction. But when you read the script, you understand exactly why we’re doing this movie – because it’s awesome,” the director gushed. When asked about a production start date, Bobin noted that filming will likely get underway “later this year.”
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum may be all but locked, but a looming production start raises the question as to whether Sony will be able to attract Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones back to the world of aliens and blinding neuralyzers, particularly after the critical and commercial disappointment of Men in Black 3 four years ago.
Whether you’re fully on board or still harboring some apprehension, expect MIB 23 to slink into production by the end of 2016 and surely by that stage, we’ll have a better understanding of the crossover James Bobin is cooking up.