| Men in Black | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Men_in_Black_Poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barry Sonnenfeld |
| Written by | Ed Solomon |
| Based on | The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Donald Peterman |
| Edited by | Jim Miller |
| Music by | Danny Elfman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $90 million[1] |
| Box office | $589.4 million[1] |
Men in Black is a 1997 American science fiction action comedy film[2] starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as "men in black", government agents who monitor and police extraterrestrials. The film is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on a script by Ed Solomon, that adapts the Marvel comic book series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. In the film, Agent K (Jones) and Agent J (Smith) investigate a series of seemingly unrelated criminal incidents related to the extraterrestrials who live in secret on Earth. Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Rip Torn also appear in supporting roles.
Development for the film began in 1992, after producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald optioned the rights to the comic book series. Solomon was soon hired to write the screenplay; Sonnenfeld was the preferred directorial choice, which resulted in delays due to his commitments to other film projects and a failure to secure any alternative directors. Principal photography began in March 1996 and lasted until that June, with filming primarily taking place in New York City. The film's visual effects were helmed by Industrial Light & Magic. The film's soundtrack contains the theme song of the same name, performed by Smith, as well as the score, composed by Danny Elfman.
Men in Black premiered at Pacific's Cinerama Dome in Hollywood on June 25, 1997, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 2. It received critical acclaim for its screenplay, humour, action sequences, and the performances and chemistry between Jones and Smith. The film was a box-office success, grossing more than $589.4 million worldwide and becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 1997 as well as the ninth-highest-grossing film of the decade. It won for Best Makeup and was also nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score at the 70th Academy Awards, among numerous other accolades. A sequel was released in 2002, a third film was released in 2012, and a stand-alone spin-off was released in 2019, with Jones and Smith absent.
- ^ a b "Men in Black (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Vo, Alex (August 10, 2021). "The 50 Best Action-Comedy Movies, Ranked By Tomatometer". rottentomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2022.