CULVER CITY, Calif., May 7, 2010 – Columbia Pictures announced today that Men in Black III will be released in 3D on May 25, 2012. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are returning to produce and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two installments of the blockbuster franchise, will direct the film from a screenplay written by Etan Cohen, based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham. Steven Spielberg is set to executive produce.

Deals are set for Will Smith, Sonnenfeld and the producing team to return to the blockbuster franchise with the intent to begin production by this fall and the studio is in advanced negotiations with Tommy Lee Jones to reprise his role as Agent Kay. Josh Brolin is also in talks to star as a young Agent Kay.

Commenting on the announcement, Jeff Blake, Chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution said, “Sony’s summer of 2012 will get off to a red hot start with an incredible new 3D adventure for the Men in Black. We couldn’t be more excited that the original filmmaking team responsible for the first two worldwide hits is reuniting for this third installment. We love where the story is taking Agents Jay and Kay and know this new chapter will deliver a fresh fun twist for fans of the franchise while also introducing the Men in Black to a whole new generation of moviegoers.”

The first two Men in Black films, which were released in 1997 and 2002, went on to become two of the most successful films in Columbia Pictures history, taking in more than $1 billion combined worldwide. The first film in the franchise won an Academy Award(r) for Best Makeup and was nominated for two other Oscars(r).