Summary

• Ride Along 3 still in the works, with Ice Cube and director Tim Story passionate about the idea, but struggling to find the right concept and timing.
• Kevin Hart's increased popularity and busy schedule has made coordinating the film's production difficult, delaying the progress of Ride Along 3.
• No official confirmation has been given for Ride Along 3 yet, with the script still being worked on and the cast lineup uncertain, but the possibility of a new adventure in a foreign country has been considered.

The first two Ride Along movies are two of the better buddy-cop crime capers of the 2010s, but Ride Along 3 news is few and far between. 2014's Ride Along was a breakthrough movie for comedian Kevin Hart, who plays Ben Barber, a man attempting to bond with his future brother-in-law and police officer, James Payton (Ice Cube), by going on a ride along to show how tough he is. Ride Along was a buddy cop movie in the mold of Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, and other classics, and while it received mixed reviews, Cube and Hart made for a fun pairing.

Ride Along was also a surprise hit, grossing over $150 million worldwide on a modest budget of $25 million (via Box Office Mojo). Those impressive numbers led to a sequel, Ride Along 2, in 2016. While the sequel was mostly panned by critics and grossed less than the original, it was still a profitable venture for the studio, making $124 million off a budget of $40 million. While that isn't as great as the first movie's performance, it's still more than enough to greenlight a sequel. However, seven years have passed since Ride Along 2, but while Ride Along 3 news is light, Ice Cube and director Tim Story is still passionate about the idea.

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Ride Along 3 Recent News

The most recent Ride Along 3 news comes from Ice Cube, who has given his first update on the threequel in years. Though Ice Cube remains hopeful about Ride Alonge 3, however, he isn't very optimistic. Speaking in July 2023, Ice Cube commented that they're still trying to work out the "the right concept and the right place to take the franchise. We don't wanna do it just to do it just to do it. We need to do it, and it needs to be a standalone movie that works. So, we're gonna work it out." This seems to be what's been holding Ride Along 3 back for several years now, as director Tim Story also revealed (via Insider) that they've "been working on a script for some time."

While it's a great sign that the studio is trying hard to deliver a Ride Along threequel that will be a satisfying third installment, Ice Cube also dropped some somewhat heartbreaking news. The actor added, "Kevin Hart, you know, he's hard to find, too. If you've got his number tell him to give me a call too, he don't call me no more. Wassup Kevin."

Kevin Hart's profile has increased dramatically since Ride Along, and he's now one of the most bankable movie stars in Hollywood - especially when it comes to action comedy. His schedule is packed, and this is a problem for Ride Along 3 that Story recognized too. The director noted, "we've had to basically try to figure out a way to coordinate Cube and Kevin's schedules, and it's been quite difficult. So at some point, I'm really hoping we can kind of get those schedules all connected and give you guys another one."

Ride Along 3 Is Not Confirmed

Though Story revealed in 2016 that a Ride Along 3 script was being written, Ride Along 3 is not confirmed. There hasn't been any official Ride Along 3 announcement from the studio, and nobody else involved in the series has commented on the Ride Along 3 release window other than Story and producer Will Packer, who was hesitant to confirm anything. That also means that there is no Ride Along 3 release date yet either. It has been 7 years since Ride Along 3 was first mentioned by Story there's still no sign of when it will start filming. Producer Will Packer also confirmed in a Metro interview that Ride Along 3 may not happen for some time, as both of the lead stars have busy schedules.

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Ride Along 3 Cast

The Ride Along franchise has a simple, tried, and true premise, as it follows a pairing of two very different oddball cops who are forced to work together. In that respect, the Ride Along 3 cast could feature any two charismatic movie stars in the main roles. However, Ice Cube and Hart will likely reprise their roles, as the primary reason Ride Along 3 hasn't happened yet is that the actors' schedules aren't aligning. When Story first talked about the sequel in 2016 (via The Wrap), he explained, "We’re excited for the idea and what it can be and of course bringing Kevin [Hart] and Ice Cube back together because they are the greatest odd couple in the world."

Outside Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, it isn't clear who else from the first two movies could join the Ride Along 3 cast. It's unlikely that any previous villains return, and given that Ride Along is set in Atlanta and Ride Along 2 is set in Miami, the characters on the police force in each movie are completely different too. The only other actor outside of Hart and Ice Cube who features in both movies is Bruce McGill, who plays Lieutenant Brooks, the head of the Atlanta Police Department. Just like in Ride Along 2, McGill could join the Ride Along 3 cast and briefly appear as Brooks to send James and Ben to another location.

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Ride Along 3 Story

No details have been revealed for the Ride Along 3 story yet, but in the tradition of the franchise's formula, it will inevitably involve Hart tagging along with Cube on another ride along for more misadventures. Tim Story has stated he wants to see the duo head to another country next time and put them completely out of their element. While the first two Ride Along movies will still set in the US, Ride Along 3 could see the odd couple in a European country, or they could even travel between several countries. In that respect, it would be even closer to its influencers, following in the footsteps of the likes of Rush Hour.

Unfortunately, outside a couple of sentences that Tim Story has dropped about wanting to see the two police officers in fish-out-of-water situations in a foreign country, there are no other Ride Along 3 plot details. Given that Story mentioned the Ride Along 3 screenplay was being written in 2016, and he's still not happy with the script seven years later, Story's demands for the Ride Along 3 story might be a little too ambitious. Not only that but as Ride Along 3 will likely have a smaller budget given Ride Along 2's underperformance, all the threequel's jet-setting around and action sequences would have to fit into that budget, which is a tough ask.