Hancock (film)

Hancock
A closeup of Will Smith (as John Hancock) looking out towards the Los Angeles Skyline. His goggles show a reflection of the city with the sun setting. The film's tagline reads "THERE ARE HEROES. THERE ARE SUPERHEROES. AND THEN THERE's... HANCOCK"
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Berg
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTobias Schliessler
Edited by
Music byJohn Powell
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • July 2, 2008 (2008-07-02) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million[1]
Box office$629.4 million[2]

Hancock is a 2008 American superhero film directed by Peter Berg based on a screenplay by Vince Gilligan and Vy Vincent Ngo. The film stars Will Smith as John Hancock, an amnesiac, alcoholic, reckless superhero trying to remember his past. The film also stars Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman.

The story was originally written by Vy Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years with various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann (who would later co-produce the film), Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino, before being filmed in 2007 in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million.

In the United States, the film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America after changes were made at their request in order to avoid an R rating, which it had received twice before. Columbia Pictures released the film in theaters in the United States on July 2, 2008. While Hancock received mixed reviews from critics,[3] who found it promising, but let down by the mid movie change in tone,[4] it grossed $629.4 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2008.

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