Columbia Pictures has officially added another tentpole feature film - the 3D sequel Men in Black 3 - to the already jam-packed Summer 2012 release schedule.

The studio's press release confirmed that both Men In Black 1 & 2 director Barry Sonnenfeld and star Will Smith (Agent Jay in the M.I.B. universe) had signed on to return to the hit franchise.  They also reported being "in advanced negotiations" with Tommy Lee Jones to have him return in Men In Black 3 as Agent Kay, with Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) in talks to play the younger version of Agent Kay as well.

Brolin's involvement with Men In Black 3 has been rumored for a long time now but this is the first bit of news concerning just what his role might be.  The press release did not however, clarify if Brolin would be playing a younger version of Jones' character OR a new recruit-in-training to take Agent Kay's place.

I only mention this as it would seem odd to me to have an actor of Brolin's stature appear only briefly via flashback sequences in the film, since I assume Men In Black 3 will take place primarily (or entirely) in the present.  You can expect this matter to be easily settled once the official plot synopsis for the third M.I.B. flick is released.

The chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution had this to offer as well:

"Sony's summer of 2012 will get off to a red hot start with an incredible 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."

Presumably, he's referring to the generation of moviegoers that were not yet alive in 2002 to see Men In Black 2 when it arrived in theaters. After all, the franchise only began back in 1997 which is really not that long ago - relatively speaking. ;)

Readers might recall my previous article concerning the potential for Men In Black 3 to be a return to form for the blockbuster sci-fi series following what I considered a sub-par sequel in Men In Black 2.  My thoughts - both for and against - remain the same, though I admit that having Brolin on-board sounds like a definite good thing.

But what do you think?  Does Men In Black 3 sound like a good idea to you?

Men In Black 3 will hit regular and 3D North American theaters on May 25, 2012.