Ice Cube and Nia Long are coming back together for a third Are We There Yet? film, and Nick Persons is about to have his hands full all over again.
According to Deadline, the project, titled Are They Gone Yet?, is currently in early development after being acquired by Skydance Sports, nearly 20 years after Ice Cube and Nia Long last shared the screen in the franchise. The script is written by Chris Hazzard and Mike Fontana, and in this installment, Nick faces his biggest challenge yet, grandkids.
The original film introduced audiences to Nick (Cube), a bachelor who reluctantly agreed to drive his love interest Suzanne’s (Long) two kids across the country, only to have his whole world turned upside down in the process. The 2005 original and the 2007 sequel, Are We Done Yet?, which saw the family move to the suburbs and clash with their contractor, grossed more than $156 million worldwide combined.
TBS adapted Are We There Yet? into a sitcom starring Terry Crews and Essence Atkins that ran for three seasons from 2010 to 2013. Between the films and the series, the franchise reached multiple generations of Black families and became a staple of Black family comedy.
Now, two decades later, the original Nick and Suzanne are back. Cube is producing through his CubeVision banner alongside Todd Garner and Jeff Kwatinetz, with Ben Hurwitz and Lauren Gennawey serving as executive producers. He spoke directly to what this reunion means.
“We built something special with this franchise. Audiences grew up with Nick Persons, and now Nick’s got grandkids. Time flies,” Cube told Deadline. “Partnering with Skydance to bring this story to a new generation is exactly the kind of move CubeVision was built for, and I am excited for the new partnership.”
Cube is also in talks to return for 24 Jump Street alongside Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, and Ride Along 3 with Kevin Hart is in early development as well.
No release date or distributor has been announced. Are They Gone Yet? is still in early development.
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