Men in Black II
Release Date:
July 3, 2002
The Fourth of July weekend for 2002 is shaping up to be a sci-fi sequel show-down, if both Terminator 3 and Men in Black 2 do indeed battle aliens and androids for box-office supremacy over the lucrative holiday stretch.
Unlike the sketchy Terminator 3, however, Men in Black 2 returns all of the major stars from its original blockbuster namesake, including director Barry Sonnenfeld, and actors Will Smith (as Agent J), Tommy Lee Jones (as Agent K) and Rip Torn (as Zed).
Plot details remain sparse during its current phase of production, but rumors point towards the intrepid agents taking their mission of "protecting Earth from the scum of the universe" into outer space, abetted by a female sidekick. Perhaps as intriguing at this point is MIB2's rumored budget, which has reportedly swollen to almost twice the size of the original Men in Black's $90 million. In addition, rumors of a salary deal amongst MIB2's major returning players indicates a potential share of nearly 50% of the sequel's revenues up to the $200 million mark. Wow. Are the Sony studio execs nuts? Maybe; maybe not.
Consider for a moment the out-of-this-world box-office facts for the original Men in Black: a five-day opening weekend cume of $84 million; $250+ million in domestic box office; $326+ million in worldwide revenues; $117+ million in video rentals. Now consider that MIB2 is slated to open during the same holiday weekend, returning the same essential cast, with the inevitable marketing and promotional tie-ins that undoubtedly helped secure the Men in Black's original PG-13, sci-fi/action/comedy monster box-office success. Factor in the record-breaking successes of the cross-genre sequels of 2001, and perhaps the Sony studio execs aren't looking so crazy after all.
Expect more plot details and solid release info after MIB2's expected wrap date on October 22, 2001. (Cal Hubbard/BOP)
September 13, 2001
Sony's Columbia Pictures announced that they will revise the ending of Men in Black 2 because of footage set against the background of the World Trade Center at the end of the film. After the tragedies in New York City and Washington, D.C., the studio felt it was most appropriate to make the changes. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
June 16, 2002
To the surprise of no one, Will Smith is duplicating the formula that made the original film so successful. The video for Back in Black debuts on MTV this week and is being met with the ridiculous levels of hype you would expect after the success of the single and video for Men In Black. The song is already hitting the radio and is poised to be one of the biggest tracks of the summer if not the year. This clever method of receiving free advertising on MTV was helpful in carrying the first movie in the franchise to $250 million in domestic box office. We expect history to repeat itself as Men In Black II looks to win the title of biggest film of summer 2002. (David Mumpower/BOP)
Vital statistics for Men in Black II |
| Main Cast |
Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rip Torn, Rosario Dawson |
| Supporting Cast |
Patrick Warburton, Johnny Knoxville, Biz Markie, Tony Shalhoub, Brad Abbrell, Paige Brooks, Jeremy Howard, Bart Mixon, Michael Bailey Smith, Michael Jackson |
| Director |
Barry Sonnenfeld |
| Screenwriter |
Robert Gordon, Barry Fanaro |
| Distributor |
Sony/Columbia |
| Trailer |
Click Here for Trailer
|
| Official Site |
http://www.meninblack.com/ |
| Rating |
PG-13 |
| Running Time |
88 minutes |
| Screen Count |
3,641 |
|
Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
|
|
|
|
|
