Ice-Cube and Kevin Hart Visit St. Louis During The RIDE ALONG 2 Tour

(instagram.com/kevinhart4real)

In early 2014, Universal Pictures’ RIDE ALONG became an instant hit, grossing more than $150 million worldwide as audiences fell hard for the unlikely comic pairing of Ice-Cube and Kevin Hart. And while most sequels don’t begin preproduction until well after moviegoers experience the first, RIDE ALONG 2 was a follow up that the filmmakers knew they had to do.

Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter and Sherri Shepherd, the sequel picks up about a year after our heroes’ last adventure. Plans for a quick trip to Miami go awry when their unorthodox policing gets them into a compromising situation that threatens to derail a major case…and Ben and Angela’s upcoming wedding day. (Trailer)

Ice Cube’s stern, iconic scowl, alongside Kevin Hart’s silliness, plus a funny script by Phil Hay & Matt Manfrediis is sure to be a crowd-pleaser when RIDE ALONG 2 opens in theaters on January 15. Plus there’s a terrific and unexpected cameo that makes for one great surprise.

During their nationwide tour to promote the sequel, the two made a stopover in St. Louis. Cube and Hart held a special screening of RIDE ALONG 2, met Ozzie Smith, visited A-B and the Arch. Both found St. Louis delicacies IMO’s pizza, Toasted Raviolis and Frozen Custard to be tasty, interesting treats.

The local media roundtable discussion came on the heels of announcement (Thursday Dec 17) that N.W.A. would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They will join the 31st class of the Rock Hall on April 8 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, Eazy-E and MC Ren round out the 2016 inductees, along with Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller. “I’m still trying to process everything and I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve done a lot of things in entertainment, but this has got to be one of the top things to ever happen,” said Ice-Cube. “Just to be set in stone like that and after the fight to be legitimate – in so many ways – Eazy’s fight to be legitimate going from street stuff to doing music to the group – it was an ongoing struggle. For this to happened 25 years later is just amazing. No way could I have scripted this at all.”

Beaming with fatherly pride, Cube is a big fan of his son (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.) and how he portrayed him in STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. “He took a chance, did his homework and is a pretty good actor. He has a future in this business.”

In what’s looking to become a new and successful “buddy cop” franchise, Ice-Cube said RIDE ALONG 2 has great ingredients. “It has our characters story, but there’s also this family element. It combines well with the action and the comedy. I think people will respond well to it.”

(instagram.com/ridealong)

When last we left Ben Barber (Hart) and James Payton (Cube), they were barbecuing together with the family in the backyard…after they’d brought down a multinational crime ring led by the legendary kingpin Omar (played by Laurence Fishburne). The sequel brings the dynamic duo of Cube and Hart together again, and Hart knew that their comedic connection – on and off-screen – would continue to resonate with audiences.

He explains: “The chemistry that we both have, it’s something that you can’t teach; people click or they don’t. Cube and I clicked instantly, like it wasn’t even work for us. We are now friends. It made a lot of sense to come back for RIDE ALONG 2.”

Cube agrees with his fellow star: “It starts with respect, and we respect each other’s careers and where the other is in the game today. We both play our position. Kevin doesn’t have a problem playing Boo Boo to my Yogi Bear. We maintain the right balance, chemistry and tone. He’s like my little brother, so it’s just fun.”

The film also has a terrific supporting cast. Actor Ken Jeong, well known for his comedy work in movie and television projects from The Hangover trilogy to his current ABC series, Dr. Ken, was tapped to play clandestine computer hacker AJ.

Both were pleased to have Jeong join the returning cast members, but with his trademark dry style, Cube deadpans, “We told Ken, look, we have a good thing going on here, so don’t come in and mess it up. Don’t blow this for us man.” He said, “You throw anyone in between this mix, it’s going be hard for it to miss. We’re all so professional and we take seriously what we’re doing.  When you have all the actors coming in with that kind of intensity, we won’t stop until it works. We’re always refining the work, trying to make it better and keep that bar up.”

Hart adds, “It’s contagious. That kind of attitude spills over to everyone on set. From the director to the producers to the DP to the camera guys to the sound guys – everyone shows up excited to come to work the next day.  Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Bruce McGill, we had a slew of great people come in and they all agreed that it was such a good time. It didn’t even feel like work.”

Cube says with a laugh, “It’s hard dealing with Kevin on one hand and Ken on the other. It’s like dealing with two toddlers – one of them acts 9 years old and the other one acts 10.”

© 2015 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Director Tim Story, Kevin Hart and Ice-Cube on the set.

Director Tim Story has said that the film’s humor is a result of Ice-Cube’s and Kevin Hart’s on-screen chemistry and is like nothing he’s seen. “They get what makes each other funny. Cube is one of the best straight guys I’ve seen in the history of film, and Kevin has mastered the comedic tone. I liken it to the combination of Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro in Midnight Run; the balance of what they bring just makes the humor work.”

Both agreed on their admiration for director Tim Story. Cube says, ‘He’s so laid back, no pressure. I’ve never worked with a director who can keep that kind of cool, laid-back kind of attitude throughout the movie. Tim is always cool, calm and collected. He’s worked on some big movies and always does it without raising his voice. It’s pleasure to work with him.”

RIDE ALONG 2 opens in theaters
January 15, 2016

Visit the film’s official site:  www.ridealong.com