Even though Snipes doesn’t think a “New Jack City” sequel would be relevant today, as the crack epidemic has waned since the early 2000s, the social conditions that often help create the Nino Browns of the world — such as unemployment, social inequality, and systemic racism — are still very prevalent today. 

But the best bet for another “New Jack City” movie would be Barry Michael Cooper’s prequel option. This would allow the film to make up for the opportunity missed in the original and take a deeper dive into social issues, and better flesh out how they shaped Nino Brown into  the man he became. Luckily, it appears that this is the route Cooper is going in; according to his tweet, the script he’s working on is aptly titled “The Diary of Nino Brown: The Monster Reagan Created.”

This film could show Snipes that it is not merely a recreation of drug culture, but rather an exposé of American politics and society at large, much like “Snowfall.” This, in turn, could lure Snipes back in for a possible third installment … The writers then will just have to figure out a way to bring Nino Brown back to life.