Will Smith will not return for Men in Black 4

The men in black are returning to cinemas — but their star secret agent has stepped down. A Hollywood Reporter interview with Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, who produced “Men in Black” and its two sequels, has confirmed that a franchise revival is moving forward without Will Smith. 

“We're in the middle of it. It's very active,” Parkes said of the new “Men in Black” movie, which is intended to be the first part of a second trilogy. Asked whether Smith will be involved, Parkes told THR, “Most likely no.”

Based on a 1990 comic book series, the sci-fi comedy “Men in Black” — about two employees of a secret government agency (played by Smith and Tommy Lee Jones) that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth — premiered in summer 1997 to huge success, grossing more than $250 million during its theatrical run, making it the second biggest hit of that year, after “Titanic”. Smith and Jones returned for the critically maligned “Men in Black II” in 2002, which had a bigger opening weekend than the first movie but topped out at $190 million. Ten years later, the stars returned for the “MiB3”, though Jones played a much smaller role, as the plot mostly dealt with Smith time-traveling back to work with Jones's younger self, played by Josh Brolin. The 2012 threequel made $179 million domestically — but ended up as the most lucrative installment of the franchise, thanks to international grosses that combined to take it to over $600 million worldwide.

All three films remain among Smith's biggest moneymakers ever, but Smith (who makes a play for another Oscar nod in December's “Concussion”) doesn't seem interested in cashing in with franchises. Last year, the actor turned down the opportunity to star in “Independence Day 2”, the sequel to his highest-grossing film ever.

No further details have been announced regarding the “Men in Black” reboot, and whether Jones or Brolin would return. According to leaked emails from last year's Sony hacks, the studio had also discussed the possibility of a crossover “Men in Black” and “21 Jump Street” sequel, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum (but not Smith or Lee).

Source: Yahoo! Movies