Ice Cube and Kevin Hart are gearing up to reunite for another round of buddy cop chaos, and Universal’s bringing back the whole crew to make it happen.
After sitting on the shelf for a full decade, the third installment of the Ride Along franchise is finally getting real momentum, with director Tim Story and producer Will Packer both locked in to return alongside the comedy duo.
The new script’s coming from Daniel Gold, who’s been writing for Netflix’s Workin’ Moms, and he’s tasked with crafting a fresh take on the formula that’s already made the studio serious money.
The first Ride Along dropped in 2014 and pulled in over $130 million domestically, while the 2016 sequel earned another $90 million, proving this franchise knows how to print cash. That’s the kind of track record that gets studios moving fast.
Hart and Cube play brothers-in-law who both work in law enforcement but couldn’t be more different if they tried.
One’s a hardened cop with years of street experience, the other’s a security guard trying to prove he belongs in the game, and their dynamic keeps landing them in the middle of Florida’s criminal underworld.
The chemistry between them is what made the first two films work, and clearly, Universal’s betting that lightning can strike a third time.
Hart’s been busy with other projects, most recently starring in the Borderlands adaptation and gearing up for the fourth Jumanji film dropping this December.
Ice Cube’s been selective with his roles, appearing in the sci-fi flick War of the Worlds and popping up in Sony’s Anaconda reboot. Both actors have the star power to carry a major studio release, and bringing them back together for Ride Along 3 makes sense from every angle, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The franchise has proven it can deliver consistent box office returns, and the buddy cop formula remains a reliable draw for audiences seeking quality entertainment.
Universal’s clearly confident enough to move forward with development, even if the studio hasn’t officially commented on the project yet.
The real question now is whether Hart and Cube can recapture the magic that made the first two films work, or if a decade-long gap will hurt the momentum.