Los Angeles, March 22: Actor Tessa Thompson has joined the cast of "Men in Black" spinoff. The "Westworld" actor joins her "Thor: Ragnarok" co-star Chris Hemsworth in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "The Fate of the Furious" director F Gary Gray is in negotiations to helm the project, while the script has been penned by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are not expected to return to the film, which is meant to launch a new franchise with the fresh talent involved. Sony had originally planned to combine the "Men and Black" and "21 Jump Street" franchises, but have since shelved that idea.

Walter F Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are producing with Steven Spielberg executive producing. David Beaubaire is overseeing the project for Sony. The original movie followed Smith and Jones, who played agents of a secret organisation, known as the Men in Black, and protected Earth from intergalactic bad guys.