Ride Along 3: Who Will Return In this Series?

By Lois Robinett On Mar 30, 2022

The two (soon to be three) films in the “Ride Along” series make extensive use of the charisma and screen presence of their two actors in order to extract cinematic gold from a pleasant, if somewhat predictable, premise.

Kevin Hart plays Ben Barber, a quick-witted high school security guard who falls in love with Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter), the sister of undercover cop James Payton, in the first film (Ice Cube). The ambitious Barber applies to the police academy and wants to propose to Angela, but in order to show to James that he is worthy of Angela, Ben must participate in a ride along, which entails joining his future brother-in-law on a day shift at work.

Ben does not have any peaceful time because James is defying his boss’s orders to halt an investigation into a smuggling case involving a man named Omar.

In the sequel, Ben has completed the police academy and is planning his wedding to Angela, but his superiors refuse to take him seriously and give him detective work. James is ordered to Miami to find the dangerous mafia lord who caused the disaster after a mistake during a vehicle rendezvous puts his partner in the hospital. Ben, desperate for adventure, defies orders and pursues James to Florida, where havoc erupts.

According to The Wrap, with the third picture on the way, it’s time to consider where the franchise will go next. We’ve got the inside scoop on who will star in “Ride Along 3,” as well as what the film might be about and who will play them.

What is the Plot of Ride Along 3?

The two films that preceded the titular threequel had dramatically set or at least focused overarching plot directions, and now that the third film in the franchise has all but been announced, despite the fact that it is still being written, it is becoming increasingly difficult to guess what it will be about, even knowing that it will rely on tried and tested tropes as the previous two films have indicated.

The premise, conflict, and resolution of the first ‘Ride Along’ were all in the title of the film, in which an aspiring cop, Ben Barber, must prove his worth to a detective, James Payton, in order to marry his sister, leading the two on a caper ride along, culminating in (you guessed it) James warming up to Ben and the latter getting engaged to the former’s sister, as well as Ben graduating from the academy and finally becoming a cop.

The second episode expanded on the thin premise, culminating in Ben and Angela, James’ sister, marrying after the two narrowly avoid a run-in with a crime lord, a case that the two solve together. There is excellent closure as well as opportunity with Ben and Angela married, the immediate threat removed, and James welcoming Ben as a member of his family while yet maintaining the banter and mischief that defines his relationship with Ben.

According to genre conventions, the sequel will introduce a new enemy, possibly from James’ past as a cop, who would jeopardise the family’s short peaceful existence. I also expect the third film to focus entirely on James and Maya’s romance, with the possibility of their marriage. Expect Hart to get himself into delightfully dangerous circumstances while James rescues him, with the reversal of this event proving to be equally amusing. Something tells me that the third instalment will introduce a slew of new characters, each with their own storyline, while the spotlight remains firmly fixed on the unusual cop partnership. Director Tim Story has also mentioned that he would want to see the couple go on escapades in another country, hoping to push them fully “out of their environment,” which should be entertaining to see.

Who is in the Cast of Ride Along 3?

Needless to say, Kevin Hart and Ice Cube will reprise their roles as the unusual couple of cops who team up for increasingly ridiculous shenanigans. Their timing and chemistry were one of the few redeeming qualities of the first two films, so it’s no surprise that they were the first to be confirmed for a sequel. Tika Sumpter as Angela Payton-Barber and Olivia Munn as Maya Cruz will both be reprising their roles as the ladies of the franchise, despite the fact that no confirmation has been issued yet.

While not perfect, the items, characters, connections, and camaraderie that the two films have been able to establish thus far are especially ripe for a sequel to expand upon, but given the genericity of the narratives, it’s truly anyone’s guess where the franchise will go next. But one thing is certain: the combustible combining of Hart and Ice Cube that made the first two films so successful, more than the action humour and surely more than the script, will be at the centre of the third one as well. Apart from the fantastic business that the two have been able to carry out, that is the one single attraction for me to watch a third one, and potentially for the makers to go ahead with it. No more storey elements are known at this time, and there hasn’t been any news regarding the picture since Tim Story’s announcement in 2016, but we’ll update this area as soon as fresh information becomes available.

WHEN WILL RIDE-ALONG 3 BE AVAILABLE?

Ride Along 3 is officially under production, but no start date has been set. Since at least 2016, the film has been in pre-production. The writers of the first two films in the series, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, are now working on a treatment for the third. However, no further information on the film’s status has been released since 2018.

If the pre-production work for Ride Along 3 was done today, and production and editing time were factored in, the film’s release date would be sometime in 2023.

Conclusion

The second episode expanded on the thin premise, culminating in Ben and Angela, James’ sister, marrying after the two narrowly avoid a run-in with a crime lord, a case that the two solve jointly.

If the pre-production work for Ride Along 3 was done today, and production and editing time were factored in, the film’s release date would be sometime in 2023.