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93-614: Men in Black 3 (stylized as MIB³ ) is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film based on the Marvel Comics series of a similar name , in turn based on the conspiracy theory , which is the sequel to Men in Black II (2002), the third installment in the Men in Black film series and the final installment in the original trilogy. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Etan Cohen ,

186-761: A computer -like screen , computer viruses , video chat , tanning beds , home treadmills , and more. In 1963, the time travel-themed Doctor Who premiered on BBC Television. The original series ran until 1989 and was revived in 2005. It has been extremely popular worldwide and has greatly influenced later TV science fiction. Other programs in the 1960s included The Outer Limits (1963–1965), Lost in Space (1965–1968), and The Prisoner (1967). Star Trek (the original series), created by Gene Roddenberry , premiered in 1966 on NBC Television and ran for three seasons. It combined elements of space opera and Space Western . Only mildly successful at first,

279-428: A space opera , went on to become a worldwide popular culture phenomenon , and the second-highest-grossing film series of all time. Since the 1980s, science fiction films , along with fantasy , horror , and superhero films, have dominated Hollywood's big-budget productions. Science fiction films often " cross-over " with other genres, including film noir ( Blade Runner - 1982), family film ( E.T.

372-461: A New York tax break in which the state rebates 30 percent of production costs incurred there. Filming was ultimately split into two parts, the first taking place from November until about Christmas 2010; the filmmakers announced shooting would begin again in mid-February, but it was delayed until April. Sonnenfeld initially stated he would be shooting in 3D, but later decided to film in 2D and convert to 3D during post-production. Set photos for

465-510: A fellow prisoner named Obadiah Price, Boris obtains a time machine and travels back in time to July 16, 1969 to kill K, altering history. Though J retains his memories, he briefly suffers from strange side effects. O recognizes J's subsequent erratic behavior as signs of a fracture in the space-time continuum before learning of a Boglodite invasion. Recalling Boris will commit murder on July 15, 1969, J seeks out Jeffrey, obtains his own time machine, and travels back in time to stop Boris. However, he

558-535: A great and influential film. In 1954, Godzilla , directed by Ishirō Honda , began the kaiju subgenre of science fiction film, which feature large creatures of any form, usually attacking a major city or engaging other monsters in battle . 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey , directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the work of Arthur C. Clarke , rose above the mostly B-movie offerings up to that time both in scope and quality, and influenced later science fiction films. That same year, Planet of

651-669: A journey to the Moon and how the Earth 's motion is seen from there. Kepler has been called the "father of science fiction". Following the 17th-century development of the novel as a literary form , Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein (1818) and The Last Man (1826) helped define the form of the science fiction novel. Brian Aldiss has argued that Frankenstein was the first work of science fiction. Edgar Allan Poe wrote several stories considered to be science fiction, including " The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall " (1835), which featured

744-447: A mobile phone video game based on the film, released on May 17, 2012, for iOS and Android . Under distribution by Sony's Columbia Pictures division, the film was theatrically released on May 25, 2012. The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on November 30, 2012, and additionally as part of a Men in Black trilogy box set on Blu-ray. The trilogy was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on December 5, 2017. The soundtrack for

837-547: A restored 2012, J reconciles with K while Griffin tells the viewers "this is [his] new favorite moment in human history." Justin Bieber , Lady Gaga , Yao Ming , and Tim Burton make uncredited cameo appearances as aliens on the TV monitors. Will Arnett plays Agent J's new partner Agent AA in an uncredited role. Make-up artist Rick Baker has a cameo as the Brain Alien. Chloe Sonnenfeld,

930-418: A society (on Earth or another planet) that has developed in wholly different ways from our own." There is a tendency among science fiction enthusiasts as their own arbiter in deciding what exactly constitutes science fiction. David Seed says it may be more useful to talk about science fiction as the intersection of other more concrete subgenres. Damon Knight summed up the difficulty, saying "Science fiction

1023-548: A strong vision for the film. The film was first announced on April 1, 2009, by Sony Pictures Entertainment president Rory Bruer during a Sony ShoWest presentation. By October 2009, Etan Cohen had been hired to write the screenplay. Sonnenfeld read the script and started working on it in January 2010. As of March 2010, Will Smith remained undecided whether to join the film or another, The City That Sailed . Sonnenfeld in May 2010 confirmed

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1116-495: A total estimated readership of at least 1 million), making it the world's most popular science fiction periodical . In 1984, William Gibson 's first novel, Neuromancer , helped popularize cyberpunk and the word " cyberspace ", a term he originally coined in his 1982 short story Burning Chrome . In 1986, Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold began her Vorkosigan Saga . 1992's Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson predicted immense social upheaval due to

1209-516: A trip to the Moon . Jules Verne was noted for his attention to detail and scientific accuracy, especially in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870). In 1887, the novel El anacronópete by Spanish author Enrique Gaspar y Rimbau introduced the first time machine . An early French/Belgian science fiction writer was J.-H. Rosny aîné (1856–1940). Rosny's masterpiece

1302-575: A very palatable form... New adventures pictured for us in the scientifiction of today are not at all impossible of realization tomorrow... Many great science stories destined to be of historical interest are still to be written... Posterity will point to them as having blazed a new trail, not only in literature and fiction, but progress as well. In 1928, E. E. "Doc" Smith 's first published work, The Skylark of Space , written in collaboration with Lee Hawkins Garby , appeared in Amazing Stories . It

1395-623: A world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state . It influenced the emergence of dystopia as a literary genre . In 1926, Hugo Gernsback published the first American science fiction magazine , Amazing Stories . In its first issue he wrote: By 'scientifiction' I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Edgar Allan Poe type of story—a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision... Not only do these amazing tales make tremendously interesting reading—they are always instructive. They supply knowledge... in

1488-470: Is Les Navigateurs de l'Infini ( The Navigators of Infinity ) (1925) in which the word astronaut, "astronautique", was used for the first time. Many critics consider H. G. Wells one of science fiction's most important authors, or even "the Shakespeare of science fiction". His works include The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of

1581-642: Is arrested by a young K, who almost neuralyzes him until J convinces him of his mission. Following a series of clues that Boris' victim left behind, the pair reach the Factory , where undercover MiB agent Andy Warhol directs them to an Archanan named Griffin, who can view all possible outcomes and escaped to Earth after the Boglodites destroyed his planet. Sensing Boris' impending attack, Griffin flees, but alludes to his future location. K and J later find Griffin at Shea Stadium and rescue him from Boris' younger self. As

1674-619: Is often called the first great space opera . The same year, Philip Francis Nowlan 's original Buck Rogers story, Armageddon 2419 , also appeared in Amazing Stories . This was followed by a Buck Rogers comic strip , the first serious science fiction comic . Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a " future history " science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon . A work of unprecedented scale in

1767-503: Is one of the most influential examples of social science fiction , feminist science fiction , and anthropological science fiction . In 1979, Science Fiction World began publication in the People's Republic of China . It dominates the Chinese science fiction magazine market , at one time claiming a circulation of 300,000 copies per issue and an estimated 3–5 readers per copy (giving it

1860-560: Is related to fantasy , horror , and superhero fiction and contains many subgenres . Its exact definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers. Subgenres include hard science fiction , which emphasizes scientific accuracy, and soft science fiction , focusing on social sciences. Other notable subgenres are cyberpunk , which explores the interface between technology and society, and climate fiction , addressing environmental issues. Precedents for science fiction are argued to exist as far back as antiquity, but

1953-474: Is so dull and empty, it's the first movie that has ever made me think 'Thank God this is in 3D.'" Before its production with different leads, both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones said that they would "consider" appearing in a fourth film . Jones said it would be "easy to pick up where we left off. We know what we are doing, we know how to do it. It's just a hell of a lot of fun." In July 2012, Columbia chief executive Doug Belgrad said: We're very pleased with

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2046-487: Is what we point to when we say it." Forrest J Ackerman has been credited with first using the term "sci-fi" (analogous to the then-trendy " hi-fi ") in about 1954. The first known use in print was a description of Donovan's Brain by movie critic Jesse Zunser in January 1954. As science fiction entered popular culture , writers and fans active in the field came to associate the term with low-budget, low-tech " B-movies " and with low-quality pulp science fiction . By

2139-474: Is written in the story as having died and been immortalized at MIB Headquarters, and a portrait of Frank can be seen in J's apartment. An advertisement for 'The Incredible Speaking Pug' can be seen as Agent J enters Coney Island during his time in 1969. Activision released MIB: Alien Crisis on May 22, 2012, for Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , and Nintendo Wii , featuring a never-before-seen MIB agent rather than Agent J or Agent K . Gameloft also developed

2232-536: The Golden Age of Science Fiction . Science fiction has been called the "literature of ideas ", and continues to evolve, incorporating diverse voices and themes, influencing not just literature but film, TV, and culture at large. Besides providing entertainment it can also criticize present-day society and explore alternatives, and inspiration a " sense of wonder ". According to Isaac Asimov , "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with

2325-483: The Men in Black animated series have been verified as non-canon and taking place in an alternate continuity. The story and show franchise originated in the medium of comic books. The original The Men in Black comic books were published in 1990 and 1991 . The Men in Black are a secret organization that monitors and suppresses paranormal activity on Earth (including aliens, demons, monsters, and mutants), while keeping

2418-477: The Russian writer and paleontologist Ivan Yefremov presented a view of a future interstellar communist civilization and is considered one of the most important Soviet science fiction novels. In 1959, Robert A. Heinlein 's Starship Troopers marked a departure from his earlier juvenile stories and novels. It is one of the first and most influential examples of military science fiction , and introduced

2511-447: The information revolution . In 2007, Liu Cixin 's novel, The Three-Body Problem , was published in China. It was translated into English by Ken Liu and published by Tor Books in 2014, and won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel , making Liu the first Asian writer to win the award. Emerging themes in late 20th and early 21st century science fiction include environmental issues ,

2604-452: The "ingenious plot, bizarre monsters, audacious cliff-hanging" and the "virtuoso final sequence." Richard Roeper gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars while saying, "It's that rare threequel that doesn't suck. Great special effects, surprising amount of heart." A. O. Scott of The New York Times also gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars and commented, " Men in Black 3 arrives in the multiplexes of the world with no particular agenda. Which may be part of

2697-636: The 1960s that feature, including " 2000 Light Years from Home " by the Rolling Stones , " I'm Waiting for the Man " by the Velvet Underground , " Strange Brew " by Cream , and " Pictures of Matchstick Men " by Status Quo . MIB 3 grossed $ 179 million in the US and Canada, and $ 475.2 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $ 654.2 million. It had a worldwide opening weekend of $ 189.9 million, and had

2790-400: The 1970s, critics within the field, such as Damon Knight and Terry Carr , were using "sci fi" to distinguish hack-work from serious science fiction. Peter Nicholls writes that "SF" (or "sf") is "the preferred abbreviation within the community of sf writers and readers." Robert Heinlein found even "science fiction" insufficient for certain types of works in this genre, and suggested

2883-636: The 1997 film. Another game, titled Men in Black: The Series , was released for the Game Boy Color in 1999, and is based on the animated television series. It was followed by a sequel in 2000, titled Men in Black 2: The Series and also for the Game Boy Color. In 2001, a version of Men in Black: The Series was released for the Game Boy Advance . Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown

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2976-550: The Apes (the original), directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle , was released to popular and critical acclaim, its vivid depiction of a post-apocalyptic world in which intelligent apes dominate humans . In 1977, George Lucas began the Star Wars film series with the film now identified as " Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope . " The series, often called

3069-571: The CIS ($ 16.9 million). It was in first place at the box office outside North America for two consecutive weekends. On Rotten Tomatoes , Men in Black 3 holds an approval rating of 67% based on 252 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It isn't exactly a persuasive argument for the continuation of the franchise–but Men in Black III is better than its predecessor and manages to exceed expectations." On Metacritic ,

3162-575: The Extra-Terrestrial - 1983), war ( Enemy Mine - 1985), comedy ( Spaceballs - 1987, Galaxy Quest - 1999), animation ( WALL-E – 2008, Big Hero 6 – 2014), Western ( Serenity – 2005), action ( Edge of Tomorrow – 2014, The Matrix – 1999), adventure ( Jupiter Ascending – 2015, Interstellar – 2014), mystery ( Minority Report – 2002), thriller ( Ex Machina – 2014), drama ( Melancholia – 2011, Predestination – 2014), and romance ( Eternal Sunshine of

3255-457: The Spotless Mind – 2004, Her – 2013). Science fiction and television have consistently been in a close relationship. Television or television-like technologies frequently appeared in science fiction long before television itself became widely available in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The first known science fiction television program was a thirty-five-minute adapted excerpt of

3348-548: The States and Empires of the Moon (1657) and The States and Empires of the Sun (1662), Margaret Cavendish 's " The Blazing World " (1666), Jonathan Swift 's Gulliver's Travels (1726), Ludvig Holberg 's Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum (1741) and Voltaire 's Micromégas (1752). Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan considered Somnium the first science fiction story; it depicts

3441-510: The Worlds (1898). His science fiction imagined alien invasion , biological engineering , invisibility , and time travel . In his non-fiction futurologist works he predicted the advent of airplanes , military tanks , nuclear weapons , satellite television , space travel , and something resembling the World Wide Web . Edgar Rice Burroughs 's A Princess of Mars , published in 1912,

3534-488: The age of 25. The film received a B+ at CinemaScore . It remained in first place at the North American box office for one week. Outside North America, MIB 3 is the highest-grossing film of the Men in Black franchise and the tenth highest-grossing 2012 film . It made $ 135.3 million on its opening weekend from 85 territories. Its highest-grossing openings were recorded in China ($ 21.7 million), and Russia and

3627-478: The biggest worldwide IMAX Memorial-Day weekend ($ 12.7 million from 474 theaters), surpassing the previous year's record of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides . In North America, MIB 3 earned $ 1.55 million during its midnight run from 2,233 locations. On its opening day, the film debuted at the top of the box office, grossing $ 17.7 million (including midnight grosses). This

3720-413: The concept of powered armor exoskeletons . The German space opera series Perry Rhodan , written by various authors, started in 1961 with an account of the first Moon landing and has since expanded in space to multiple universes , and in time by billions of years. It has become the most popular science fiction book series of all time. In the 1960s and 1970s, New Wave science fiction

3813-506: The creation of microrobots and micromachinery , nanotechnology , smartdust , virtual reality , and artificial intelligence (including swarm intelligence ), as well as developing the ideas of "necroevolution" and the creation of artificial worlds. In 1965, Dune by Frank Herbert featured a much more complex and detailed imagined future society than had previously in most science fiction. In 1967 Anne McCaffrey began her Dragonriders of Pern science fantasy series. Two of

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3906-414: The daughter of director Barry Sonnenfeld , plays the flower child who encounters Boris at the carnival. The film's premise was first proposed to director Barry Sonnenfeld by Will Smith during the filming of Men in Black II in 2002, with Smith suggesting that his character, Agent J, travel back in time to save his partner, Agent K, while at the same time exploring Agent K's backstory. Sonnenfeld said

3999-472: The devoted aficionado or fan—has a hard time trying to explain what science fiction is," and the lack of a "full satisfactory definition" is because "there are no easily delineated limits to science fiction." Another definition comes from The Literature Book by DK and is, "scenarios that are at the time of writing technologically impossible, extrapolating from present-day science...[,]...or that deal with some form of speculative science-based conceit, such as

4092-439: The episodes, ran from 1959 to 1964. It featured fantasy , suspense , and horror as well as science fiction, with each episode being a complete story. Critics have ranked it as one of the best TV programs of any genre . The animated series The Jetsons , while intended as comedy and only running for one season (1962–1963), predicted many inventions now in common use: flat-screen televisions , newspapers on

4185-614: The film appeared online on November 17, 2010, showing Smith, Jones, Emma Thompson, and Nicole Scherzinger. Filming was done in April 2011 in the Morris Park section of The Bronx . Parts of Coney Island , in Brooklyn , had parking and filming permits posted for April 24 and May 2–4, 2011, production dates for what the permits titled MIB . Shooting also took place in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, and

4278-437: The film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by the first two films. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, in particular praising Brolin's role as the young Agent K, which he cited as an excellent example of good casting. Ebert also praised

4371-702: The film stars Will Smith , Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin , with Jemaine Clement , Michael Stuhlbarg , Bill Hader and Emma Thompson in supporting roles. In the film, James Darrell Edwards III / Agent J (Smith) is required to go back in time to prevent the assassination of his partner Kevin Brown / Agent K (Jones and Brolin), the fallout of which threatens the safety of Earth. Produced by Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment in association with Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation and Hemisphere Media Capital, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing , development of

4464-479: The film was composed by Danny Elfman and was released on May 29, 2012, four days after the film. The song " Back in Time " by rapper Pitbull , which was not included on the film's soundtrack album but accompanies the end credits of the film, was released as a single on March 26, 2012. It is the first lead single released to accompany a Men in Black film not to be performed by Will Smith. There were also many songs from

4557-557: The film, reprising his role from the previous two Men in Black films. In designing the look for the alien creatures, Baker used the time travel plot device as a reason to design " retro " looking aliens reminiscent of science fiction B movies of the era, saying, "In 2012 the aliens should look like Men in Black aliens and in 1969 they should be retro aliens. Fishbowl space helmets, guys with space suits with ribbed things on it, exposed brains, [and] bug eyes." Principal photography began on November 16, 2010, even though, "We knew starting

4650-420: The financial performance of Men in Black 3 , and we believe it is an ongoing franchise. We're going to do [another one], but we don't have clarity yet on how it should be done. By early 2013, Oren Uziel had begun writing a Men in Black 4 screenplay for Sony Pictures . In September 2015, series producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald stated the series would be rebooted as a trilogy, most likely without

4743-743: The first science fiction novel . Some of the stories from The Arabian Nights , along with the 10th-century The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Ibn al-Nafis 's 13th-century Theologus Autodidactus , are also argued to contain elements of science fiction. Written during the Scientific Revolution and later the Age of Enlightenment are considered true science-fantasy books. Francis Bacon 's New Atlantis (1627), Johannes Kepler 's Somnium (1634), Athanasius Kircher 's Itinerarium extaticum (1656), Cyrano de Bergerac 's Comical History of

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4836-480: The genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years. In 1937, John W. Campbell became editor of Astounding Science Fiction , an event that is sometimes considered the beginning of the Golden Age of Science Fiction , which was characterized by stories celebrating scientific achievement and progress . The "Golden Age" is often said to have ended in 1946, but sometimes

4929-449: The gooey effects from Hollywood veteran Rick Baker look overly familiar, but Men in Black 3 remains an amiable comedy with some fondly familiar faces." Director Paul Thomas Anderson praised the film, saying, "It was [expletive] great. [ sic ] ... The time-travel stuff [made me] cry my eyes out. I'm a sucker for that stuff." Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald gave the film 1 out of 4 stars and stated, " Men in Black 3

5022-523: The government, the MIB are supported by the patents they hold on various confiscated alien innovations, including liposuction , the microwave oven , and velcro . Their standard operating day is based on Centaurian time , which lasts 37 hours, 16 of which an agent must spend on duty. Their main base is located at 504 Battery Drive in New York City. The Men in Black have bases in other locations, including one in

5115-478: The idea "turned out to be a very long process of development, mainly because of the knotting [ sic ] issues of time travel." It was reported that Smith and executives were leery about bringing back Sonnenfeld because of conflicts on the set of Men in Black II . In a lawsuit filed against his former agents over commissions, Sonnenfeld alleged that Sony considered other directors for Men in Black 3 . Sonnenfeld ultimately convinced all involved that he had

5208-707: The idea of a rebooted film series. Barry Sonnenfeld, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have expressed interest in a possible Men in Black 4 . A crossover with the Jump Street franchise has also been discussed by Sony but without Jones and Smith. Despite talks with James Bobin to direct, the idea was dropped in May 2016. A spin-off film, Men in Black: International was released in 2019. The film stars Chris Hemsworth , Tessa Thompson , Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson . An animated television series, Men in Black: The Series , aired from 1997 to 2001. The show

5301-472: The implications of the Internet and the expanding information universe, questions about biotechnology , nanotechnology , and post-scarcity societies . Recent trends and subgenres include steampunk , biopunk , and mundane science fiction . The first, or at least one of the first, recorded science fiction film is 1902's A Trip to the Moon , directed by French filmmaker Georges Méliès . It

5394-549: The involvement of Will Smith. In December 2014, it was revealed that Sony was planning a crossover between Men in Black and Jump Street . The news was leaked after Sony's system was hacked and then confirmed by the directors of the Jump Street films, Chris Miller and Phil Lord , during an interview. James Bobin was announced as director in 2016. On April 13, 2016, the movie was officially announced and revealed to be titled MIB 23 . In 2016, Hill expressed doubts and said

5487-776: The landing, plus an amateur astronomer and a teenager who got lost going to see his girlfriend. This last became Agent K, who later came to be regarded as the agency's best agent, and one of the agents became his partner D. The MIB has continued since then, with Zed as its chief, to protect the normal citizens of Earth from alien threats and police extraterrestrial immigrants. Other notable members include Agents B, J, and L. MIB agents sever all ties with their former lives and have all traces of their previous identities erased. They dress in black suits specifically chosen to avoid creating any lasting impression on civilians who see them. Their fingerprints and any other unique identifying features are erased, and they are issued neuralyzers to use in erasing

5580-415: The late 1940s and the 1950s are included. In 1942, Isaac Asimov started his Foundation series , which chronicles the rise and fall of galactic empires and introduced psychohistory . The series was later awarded a one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series". Theodore Sturgeon 's More Than Human (1953) explored possible future human evolution . In 1957, Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale by

5673-452: The latter's efforts to stop him from pursuing Boris and refusing to explain what happened. At MiB headquarters, J's superior, Agent O, denies his request for further information on Boris' apprehension; only revealing that around the same time, K also deployed the ArcNet, an interplanetary shield that prevented the now extinct Boglodites from invading Earth. With help from Jeffrey Price, the son of

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5766-480: The memories of civilian witnesses and Ray-Ban sunglasses to protect themselves against the device's effects. They have access to a wide array of alien weaponry and other technologies for use during missions. Retiring agents are neuralyzed to wipe their memories of working for MIB and may have their previous identities restored. The agency possesses a "deneuralyzer" that can restore retired agents' memories in emergency situations. No longer receiving federal funding from

5859-456: The modern genre primarily arose in the 19th and early 20th centuries when popular writers began looking to technological progress and speculation. Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein , written in 1818, is often credited as the first true science fiction novel . Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are pivotal figures in the genre's development. In the 20th century, expanded with the introduction of space operas , dystopian literature, pulp magazines , and

5952-489: The movie that we didn't have a finished second or third act," director Sonnenfeld said in 2012. "Was it responsible? The answer is, if this movie does as well as I think it will, it was genius. If it's a total failure, then it was a really stupid idea." Filming was originally slated to commence on October 18, 2010, and continue until May 2011, in New York City , with shooting starting in 2010 partly in order to take advantage of

6045-451: The movies is a secret organization devoted to policing and monitoring extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The Men in Black, founded in the U.S. in the mid-1950s, began as a small and poorly funded government organization devoted to making contact with extraterrestrial life known as the Baltians. They were initially seen as a joke, but did make contact on March 2, 1961, outside New York City. It

6138-472: The novellas included in the first novel, Dragonflight , made McCaffrey the first woman to win a Hugo or Nebula Award . In 1968, Philip K. Dick 's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was published. It is the literary source of the Blade Runner movie franchise . In 1969, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin was set on a planet in which the inhabitants have no fixed gender . It

6231-400: The pair to tell the truth. They are apprehended by military police and a colonel, but Griffin shows the colonel the importance of their mission. The colonel subsequently assists them in reaching the rocket while Griffin leaves, assuring J that history will be restored once K takes Boris' arm. The Borises attack the agents, but they defeat them before K attaches the ArcNet. As the rocket launches,

6324-603: The play RUR , written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek , broadcast live from the BBC's Alexandra Palace studios on 11 February 1938. The first popular science fiction program on American television was the children's adventure serial Captain Video and His Video Rangers , which ran from June 1949 to April 1955. The Twilight Zone (the original series), produced and narrated by Rod Serling , who also wrote or co-wrote most of

6417-435: The populace ignorant of its happenings. The series was adapted into a film in 1997, titled Men in Black , starring Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K and Will Smith as Agent J , with Barry Sonnenfeld as director. The film went on to become a commercial success, grossing US$ 587 million worldwide on a $ 90 million budget and earning a 91% rating from review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes . A sequel, Men in Black II ,

6510-482: The present Boris is incinerated in the exhaust while the ArcNet is successfully deployed. K reunites with the colonel, but the latter sacrifices himself to save him from the younger Boris, who goads K into arresting him. K refuses, killing him instead. K soon learns the colonel's son, James, was nearby and reluctantly neuralyzes him. Witnessing the events from afar, J realizes the colonel was his father and his younger self's presence kept him from forgetting K. Returning to

6603-455: The present-day Boris arrives in the past and convinces his younger self to join forces with him, Griffin gives K and J the ArcNet. After deducing they need to attach the device to the Apollo 11 rocket to send it into Earth's orbit, J reluctantly reveals K's impending death. With Griffin and J's encouragement, K agrees to join them. The trio use jetpacks to reach Cape Canaveral , where Griffin advises

6696-724: The project was unlikely to happen, and that it was too complicated to make it work. A standalone sequel titled Men in Black: International was released in June 2019, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson , with Emma Thompson reprising her role. Science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to SF or sci-fi ) is a genre of speculative fiction , which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology , space exploration , time travel , parallel universes , and extraterrestrial life . It often explores human responses to changes in science and technology. Science fiction

6789-468: The reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology ." Robert A. Heinlein wrote that "A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method ." American science fiction author and editor Lester del Rey wrote, "Even

6882-422: The reason that it turns out to be so much fun." Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly noted, "Sonnenfeld and Cohen move their baby along with an integrity and gait that ought to serve as a blueprint for other filmmakers faced with the particular challenges of reviving big-ticket and time-dated hunks of pop culture." Rafer Guzman of Newsday wrote, "the franchise is no longer the zenith of blockbusterism, and

6975-419: The return of Tommy Lee Jones and Smith. Both had expressed interest in 2008 in reprising their roles. The filmmakers also included Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald as producers, with Steven Spielberg as executive producer; all were producers of the two previous films. Sonnenfeld considered Mark Wahlberg for the role of younger Agent K, before casting Josh Brolin . In June 2010, writer David Koepp

7068-472: The sequel began during filming of its predecessor, with its premise suggested by Smith to Sonnenfeld. Despite rumors of a fallout between Smith and Sonnenfeld during the filming of Men in Black II , their returns were confirmed alongside Jones by May 2010, after being announced the previous year. David Koepp and Jeff Nathanson were later hired to perform uncredited rewrites to Cohen's original screenplay and principal photography began that November. Filming

7161-600: The series gained popularity through syndication and extraordinary fan interest . It became a very popular and influential franchise with many films , television shows , novels , and other works and products. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) led to six additional live action Star Trek shows: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Voyager (1995–2001) , Enterprise (2001–2005), Discovery (2017–2024), Picard (2020–2023), and Strange New Worlds (2022–present), with more in some form of development. Neuralyzer The Men in Black as shown in

7254-515: The term speculative fiction to be used instead for those that are more "serious" or "thoughtful". Some scholars assert that science fiction had its beginnings in ancient times , when the line between myth and fact was blurred. Written in the 2nd century CE by the satirist Lucian , A True Story contains many themes and tropes characteristic of modern science fiction, including travel to other worlds, extraterrestrial lifeforms , interplanetary warfare, and artificial life . Some consider it

7347-402: The western United States (Zone 16), one mobile undersea base, and a Los Angeles division (dubbed "The Agency"). The three other founding members became Agent T, H and Q. In the animated series, an agent known as Alpha was said to be the first chief of the MIB; after he went rogue, Zed became the chief. With the release of the films Men in Black II and Men in Black 3 , most if not all elements of

7440-418: Was also the first film in the series to be released in 3D . The film saw Smith and Jones reprise their roles, with Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement joining the cast. It scored a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes . Although Men in Black 3 has concluded the series, talks have been made about the future of the series. Sonnenfeld claimed that Men in Black 3 is the conclusion of the MIB series, though leaving it open for

7533-519: Was based on the films, taking place after the events of the first film. There are a few changes, such as Agent K apparently not having his memory erased. The first Men in Black video game, Men in Black: The Game , was released for Windows 95 in 1997, followed by a release for the PlayStation . The game, developed by Gigawatt Studios and published by SouthPeak Interactive , is loosely based on

7626-446: Was decided to make Earth an apolitical zone for aliens without a planet, and the organization broke its government ties to become the Men in Black, which became the force to conceal and police the aliens that came to Earth, no longer answerable to the government and therefore not obligated to answer any questions or respond to outside demands. The founding members were the seven agents present at

7719-644: Was hired to rewrite the Cohen script. A third writer, Jeff Nathanson , was hired in November 2010 to rewrite the segment of the script that takes place in 1969. Nathanson and Koepp, along with producer Spielberg, had previously worked together on the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , which Spielberg directed. Special effects artist Rick Baker created the practical aliens and prosthetic makeup for

7812-404: Was influential on later filmmakers , bringing a different kind of creativity and fantasy . Méliès's innovative editing and special effects techniques were widely imitated and became important elements of the cinematic medium . 1927's Metropolis , directed by Fritz Lang , is the first feature-length science fiction film. Though not well received in its time, it is now considered

7905-480: Was known for its embrace of a high degree of experimentation, both in form and in content, and a highbrow and self-consciously " literary " or " artistic " sensibility . In 1961, Solaris by Stanisław Lem was published in Poland . The novel dealt with the theme of human limitations as its characters attempted to study a seemingly intelligent ocean on a newly discovered planet . Lem's work anticipated

7998-412: Was released in 2002 which saw both Jones and Smith reprising their roles. The film was a box office success, earning $ 441 million worldwide. Despite its success, the film was less critically acclaimed than its predecessor and received average reviews from critics with a score of 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. A third installment, Men in Black 3 , was released ten years after the second film on May 25, 2012. It

8091-456: Was released in 2019, without most of the original cast. In 2012, an alien criminal and the last Boglodite, Boris the Animal, escapes from a maximum-security prison on the Moon to take revenge on Men in Black (MiB) Agent K , who shot off his arm and arrested him in 1969. He eventually confronts K and his partner Agent J , telling the former he is "already dead" before leaving. J and K fall out over

8184-901: Was released later in 2001, for the PlayStation. In 2002 , a video game partially based on the second film was released, titled Men in Black II: Alien Escape . A video game published by Activision entitled MIB: Alien Crisis was released in May 2012, around the time when the third movie was released. Will Smith, who played Agent J in the films, released two rap singles based on the films: " Men in Black " (from Men in Black: The Album ) and " Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) " (from Men in Black II: The Soundtrack ). Men in Black: The Roleplaying Game

8277-601: Was scheduled to wrap in June. For the film, the Ford Taurus SHO was selected as the MIB's official car, replacing the Ford LTD Crown Victoria and Mercedes-Benz E-Class from the first two films. For the 1969 scenes, a 1964 Ford Galaxie was used as the MIB's official car. This is the first time Frank the Pug was absent in a Men in Black movie, as well as Chief Zed, Jack Jeebs, and actor David Cross . Instead Zed

8370-433: Was slightly lower than the opening days of its predecessors . During its three-day opening weekend, it topped the box office with $ 54.6 million, which was higher than the opening weekends of the two previous films. The movie then earned an additional $ 14.7 million on Memorial Day , bringing its four-day weekend total to $ 69.3 million. The opening weekend audience was 54 percent male and 56 percent over

8463-508: Was split into two parts, first occurring between November and December 2010, and restarting between April and June 2011, taking place primarily in New York City . Composer Danny Elfman , who scored the previous two installments, returned to score the third. With an officially acknowledged production budget of $ 215 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made. Men in Black 3 first premiered at O2 World in Berlin on May 14, 2012, and

8556-408: Was the first of his three- decade -long planetary romance series of Barsoom novels , which were set on Mars and featured John Carter as the hero . These novels were predecessors to YA novels , and drew inspiration from European science fiction and American Western novels . In 1924, We by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin , one of the first dystopian novels, was published. It describes

8649-521: Was theatrically released in the United States on May 25. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of the cast (particularly Brolin's), and was considered an improvement over its predecessor. The film grossed $ 654.2 million worldwide, becoming the tenth- highest grossing film of 2012 and the highest grossing film in the franchise, unadjusted for inflation. A standalone sequel, Men in Black: International ,

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