Ride Along is a 2014 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Greg Coolidge, Jason Mantzoukas, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi. The film stars Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bryan Callen, Tika Sumpter, and Laurence Fishburne. It follows Ben Barber, a high school security guard, who goes on a ride-along with his fiancée's brother, James, a hot-tempered Atlanta Police Department detective, in order to prove himself worthy of marrying James's sister. However, the two men find themselves in the middle of a major case when they stumble upon a dangerous criminal activity.
Ride Along had been in development for several years before being greenlit in 2012, with Tim Story signing on as director and Ice Cube attached to star. The film was primarily shot in Atlanta, Georgia, with some scenes also being filmed in Miami, Florida. It was released on January 17, 2014, and grossed over $154 million worldwide, becoming a box office success despite receiving negative reviews from critics.
A sequel, Ride Along 2, was released in 2016, with most of the original cast returning. A potential third film was discussed by Ice Cube in 2019, but as of 2021, no further updates on the project have been announced. The film's success led to the development of a television series spin-off, which was announced in 2017, but ultimately did not move forward.