‘Ride Along 3’ Movie In Works With Ice Cube, Kevin Hart In Talks To Return

EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing that Ride Along 3 is in early development at Universal with stars Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, director Tim Story, and producer Will Packer all in early discussions to return.

The news comes at a time when Uni has closed a deal with CAA-repped scribe Daniel Gold (Netflix/CBC comedy series Workin’ Moms) to pen the screenplay. While Cube, Hart, Story and Packer always wanted to do a third movie, they were often not in unison on ideas which were being floated. Gold’s pitch, which is under wraps, got the foursome excited and on the same page.

No doubt, the big screen requires more comedies, and as the revived Bad Boys threequel and fourthquel have proved, beloved franchise action comedies are particularly solid box office bets. Nostalgia will no doubt be in threequel’s favor given that it’s been ten years since Ride Along 2. The first Ride Along came out in 2014 and was an immediate MLK weekend hit, debuting to $48.6M 4-day and legging out to $134.9M U.S. and over $154M WW. Ride Along 2 bowed to a $41M 4-day, and finaled at $91.2M domestic, $124.6M global. All in, the franchise has arrested $279M around the world.

In Ride Along, security guard Ben Barber (played by Hart) must prove himself to his girlfriend’s brother, a top police officer, James Payton (played by Ice Cube). In doing so, Ben rides along with James on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta. In part two, the duo head to Miami to take down a drug dealer who is supplying drugs to Atlanta.

In addition to Packer, also in early talks to return as producers according to sources are Cube under his Cube Vision which is run by his manager Jeff Kwatinetz; Hart under his Hartbeat Productions and Story via his The Story Company. Cube is repped by UTA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, while Hart is repped by WME and 3Arts, Story by UTA and Johnson Shapiro, etc; and Packer by CAA and Johnson Shapiro etc.

This weekend Packer has the Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page romance drama You, Me & Tuscany opening via Universal.

Universal had no comment.