Strap on your seat belts, check your rear view mirrors, and remember that sequels in the mirror are closer than they appear: the Ride Along gang will be right along with a threequel.
The action-comedy franchise, it must be said, is riding along at a fantastic pace. The first movie, which starred Ice Cube as a tough-talking police officer and Kevin Hart as his goofy security guard brother-in-law who joins him in his cop car for dangerous and exciting missions, arrived way back in the distant netheryear of 2014. A sequel began filming that same year, released this January.
Neither films were particularly well-received by critics, but the franchise has grossed a total of $250m worldwide, against a combined budget of $65m, so understandably this profit-making venture will be hoping to continue to make a healthy pile of cash for all concerned.
The creative team behind the first two movies are all set to return: Tim Story will again direct the film, from a script again written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Hart and Cube are both expected to return, too.
Both stars have seen their star power in continual ascendency of late. Hart has forged a path as one of the biggest stand-up comedians in the world, with his latest concert special, Kevin Hart: What Now?, the first time a comedian has played a football stadium; while Cube has carved out a reputation for action-comedies like 21 Jump Street and the upcoming Fist Fight.