Liam Neeson might star in Men in Black spin-off

Sony, which is making a Men in Black spinoff, has now apparently roped in Liam Neeson to join a star-studded cast that already includes Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. The film will be directed by F Gary Gray, who had previously helmed Straight Outta Compton and The Fate of the Furious.

Men in Black, originally released in 1997, featured Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents of a secret organisation that protected Earth from intergalactic bad guys. The film was a huge hit and spawned two sequels.

In the upcoming film, Liam Neeson is expected to play the head of the UK branch of the secret agency, while Rip Torn will head the American division. Written by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the spin-off is scheduled for release on May 17, 2019.

The role would be a change of pace for the veteran star, who is known more for his action roles like in the Taken franchise, with his most recent outing being The Commuter. His last comedic role was as the villain in Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in the West in 2014. Neeson will be seen next in Steve McQueen’s Widows. 

It is also notable that Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth have worked together earlier in Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor: Ragnarok, where they played Valkyrie and Thor, respectively.