Tessa Thompson is reteaming with her Thor: Ragnarok co-star Chris Hemsworth in the new Men in Black movie.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Thompson has signed on to join Sony’s reboot of the film franchise alongside Hemsworth, with Fast & Furious director F. Gary Gray directing. Iron Man writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum are writing the script. The film is aiming for release on June 14, 2019.
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Besides becoming an instant fan favorite with her role as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, Thompson also appeared in Alex Garland’s latest science fiction movie Annihilation alongside the Thor movies’ former female lead Natalie Portman. Thompson is currently filming Creed II, the boxing drama sequel in which she plays opposite Black Panther villain Michael B. Jordan. She’s also set to appear in the upcoming Annapurna Pictures film Sorry to Bother You and has a significant role in the second season of Westworld on HBO this spring.
Chris Hemsworth’s contract to play Thor finished with the fourth Avengers movie, though he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his supposed return to the Star Trek franchise as Captain Kirk’s father George Kirk is in doubt. The Men in Black reboot could prove to be the next big franchise move in the star’s career.
The film is said to take an approach similar to the one used for Jurassic World‘s revival of the Jurassic Park franchise. The new Men in Black movie will feature new characters instead of bringing back or recasting Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K.
The Men in Black reboot movie is said to be set in London and feature a white character, a black woman, and an older man as part of the movie’s ensemble cast. Hemsworth and Thompson seem to fit the first two roles, leaving just the third to be cast.
The first Men in Black movie earned $589 million at the worldwide box office in 1997. The film spawned two sequels, the first in 2002 and another a decade later in 2012. In total, the Men in Black film franchise has grossed $1.5 billion worldwide.
Steven Spielberg is returning to the role of executive producer. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald return as producers.
