According to Variety, sources can confirm that Thor: Ragnarok star Chris Hemsworth is in early talks to star in a Men in Black spinoff. F. Gary Gray, the man behind films such as The Fate of the Furious and Straight Outta Compton is tapped to direct this forthcoming project.
Hemsworth will reportedly play a new agent in the spinoff, as Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith will not reprise their iconic roles. The project is meant to introduce a new franchise with a roster of all-new talent.
Sony, the studio behind the film, is aiming for a May 17, 2019 release date, and has commissioned Matt Holloway and Art Marcum to work on the screenplay together.
The original film saw Jones and Smith as two agents from a secret organization known as the "Men in Black," who were responsible for deterring extraterrestrial terror from ravaging Earth. The film, which was a massive box office hit, eventually spawned two other sequels, transforming the original film into a lucrative franchise in the process.
Sony initially had plans to unite Men in Black with 21 Jump Street into one succinct film, but that merger failed to materialize for some unknown reason.
Thus, Hemsworth's spinoff will charter familiar territory in a brand new narrative. The project will have Steven Spielberg on board as Executive Producer, so expect a cinematic affair of epic proportions.
