'Ride Along' Could Keep On Truckin'

Given the original Ride Along movie's revenue of over $150 million and the second film's possibility of beating Star Wars: The Force Awakens in its opening weekend, it's unlikely that anyone involved will pass up on the opportunity to yet again spin the popular buddy-cop movies into box office gold with another sequel, Ride Along 3 . The stars themselves are clearly optimistic, as Ice Cube personally confirmed the making of a third installment to be dependent on Ride Along 2's performance. When asked on Twitter if fans "could expect another Ride Along movie after Ride Along 2," the actor said:

"If people are into it, if they support it at the box office, of course we'll get that phone call from Universal: 'Hey fellas, wanna do another one?"

In turn, Ride Along 2's popularity is contingent upon Hart and Cube working as an "odd couple." In real life, Hart told Today that "it was love at first sight" for the dynamic duo, and fans have seemingly loved the chemistry between them, anointing them as the next James Franco and Seth Rogen of comedy. And if that wasn't sufficient proof of Hart and Cube's serious bond off-screen, then their hilarious Conan segment or their hot tub dip on The Bachelor would certainly do the trick. Even if their camaraderie is scripted, there's no doubt that Hart and Cube possess the uncanny ability to promote the s**t out of their new movie.

But if the franchise continues on, what might a third sequel look like? Plot-wise, I'm assuming that since Ride Along and Ride Along 2 are pretty much based on Hart and Cube's give-and-take bickering and bantering, it's pretty much a given that Ride Along 3 will further test and deepen their blooming bromance. While their characters' professional and private lives intersect as cops and brother-in-laws, their call of duty seems more of a pretext for the two men to just genuinely enjoy each other's company and get into comic capers a la The Hangover. And with Ride Along 2's large cast, including Ken Jeong as AJ, a stereotypically geeky hacker, and Olivia Munn as Cube's tough-talking love interest, a third movie involving a reprisal of all these roles could see new romances and friendships forming between the ensemble.

Unfortunately, it's doubtful that the filming of a Ride Along 3 will happen anytime soon due to one of the main co-star's scheduling. Although there doesn't currently appear to be any current film projects in the works for Ice Cube, stand-up comic Hart is busy preparing the biggest comedy tour in history. Still, given the projected commercial success of Ride Along 2 and Cube and Hart's broad audience appeal in real life, I predict it's more than likely that Hollywood will be taking audiences for another fun-filled "ride" in the not-so-distant future.

Images: Universal Pictures (2)