The 1997 science fiction comedy Men in Black is celebrating its 25 anniversary this summer. To mark the occasion, the movie will make a return to the big screen across cinemas in the US. A special two-day-only presentation of a new 4K version will hit theaters on Sunday, July 3, and Monday, July 4 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm local time, respectively. The special screening will also feature an exclusive interview with director Barry Sonnenfeld.
The movie chronicle the adventures of two unlikely partners agents K played by Tommy Lee Jones and Jay played by Will Smith, as part of the secret organization called Men in Black that regulates, and monitors all things alien on planet Earth. A World-weary Agent K and his annoyingly enthusiastic young partner, Agent J investigate several mysterious alien deaths with the help of a very resourceful deputy medical examiner of New York City, Dr. Laura Weaver played by Linda Fiorentino. Together they are on a trail of an intergalactic criminal played by Vincent D'Onofrio who threatens to destroy the planet.
The movie is loosely based on the Malibu Comic of the same name by Lowell Cunningham. Back in the day, Men in Black was a massive box office success that grossed over $589.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget making it the third highest-grossing film that year. Furthermore, it bagged three Academy Award nominations— Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup. And no points for guessing, it surely bagged one in the Best Makeup category.
Directed by Sonnenfeld, Men in Black has a story and screenplay by Ed Solomon. It was produced by Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald. Also, Steven Spielberg served as executive producer, and the film score was composed by legendary artist Danny Elfman. Along with Jones, Smith, Fiorentino, and D’Onofrio the movie casts Rip Torn as Agent Zed, David Cross as Newton, and Tim Blaney as Frank the Pug.
The Men in Black still has a 92% Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.3/10 IMDb score. Two more sequels to it were released in 2002 and 2012 respectively. The franchise further added an animated TV series and video games to its name. In 2019, Sony presented a spin-off film, Men in Black: International starring stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, and Emma Thompson with a script by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. However, the spin-off failed to make a mark.
Watch the new 4k trailer below: