Ride Along 3 in Development: Ice Cube and Kevin Hart in Talks to Return

Universal Pictures is in early development on Ride Along 3, with stars Ice Cube and Kevin Hart in talks to return to their respective roles. According to reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, director Tim Story and producer Will Packer are also in early discussions to reunite for the third installment of the action-comedy franchise.

The project has seen renewed momentum after nearly a decade of stalled development. The breakthrough is attributed to screenwriter Daniel Gold, who previously wrote for the Netflix series Workin’ Moms and the project Tough Guys. Gold has been tapped to pen the screenplay after delivering a pitch that reportedly aligned the core creative team, who had previously struggled to agree on a direction for the sequel.

A Decade Since the Last Installment

It has been ten years since the second film in the series hit theaters in 2016. The franchise centers on the comedic tension between Ben Barber, a high-energy security guard played by Hart, and his brother-in-law, hardened police officer James Payton, played by Ice Cube.

The first Ride Along, released in 2014, was a significant commercial success. It debuted over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, earning $48.6 million over four days and eventually grossing $134.9 million domestically and more than $154 million worldwide. The film was produced on a modest budget of $25 million.

The 2016 sequel, Ride Along 2, expanded the setting from Atlanta to Miami as the duo attempted to take down a drug dealer. While it earned less than the original, it still performed well for the studio, bowing to $41 million over four days and finalizing at $91.2 million domestic and $124.6 million globally against a $40 million budget.

Combined, the first two films have earned approximately $279 million globally, establishing the series as a profitable mid-budget franchise for Universal.

Industry Trends and Current Projects

The revival of the series comes amid a broader industry trend where legacy action-comedies and franchise sequels are proving to be reliable box office bets. This shift is evidenced by the recent success of the Bad Boys franchise’s third and fourth installments.

Both lead actors have remained active in the industry during the hiatus. Ice Cube was most recently seen in the science-fiction film War of the Worlds and appeared in a cameo role in Sony’s Anaconda. Kevin Hart recently appeared in the video game adaptation Borderlands and is scheduled to return for the fourth Jumanji movie, which is due for release in December 2026.

Producer Will Packer is also maintaining a steady release schedule, with the studio releasing his romantic comedy You, Me & Tuscany during the weekend of April 11, 2026.

While the core team of Cube, Hart, Story, and Packer are in discussions, Universal Pictures has not issued an official comment on the potential project. Details regarding the plot of the third film remain under wraps.