Men in Black | |
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Created by | Lowell Cunningham |
Original work | The Men in Black |
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Comics | The Men in Black |
Films and television | |
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Games | |
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Men in Black is a media franchise that originated with a comic book created by American author Lowell Cunningham. The franchise focuses on the eponymous and fictional non-governmental organization which monitors and regulates paranormal and alien activity on Earth while preventing civilians from finding out about it. The most notable agents within the organization are Zed, Jay, and Kay. Since the release of the comic books, they have been adapted into other media including a series of three films, an animated television series, and video games.
The original The Men in Black comic books were published in 1991 and 1992. The Men in Black are a secret organization that monitors and suppresses paranormal activity on Earth (including aliens, demons and mutants), while keeping 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, 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 successful 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 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 is 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 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.