The tropes and conventions of the “buddy cop” genre are so rigid and well-worn that it’s almost impossible to find a fresh twist on it. But adapted from a little-known comic book of the same name, Men in Black did just that with the tale of two agents working for a secret government organization that deals with alien encounters, completely unbeknownst to the general public.
The Men in Black movies have been up and down in quality, but it remains one of Hollywood’s most popular franchises. So, here are 10 interesting details from behind the scenes of the Men in Black movies.
Tommy Lee Jones Improvised Dialogue Because He Didn’t Think The Script Was Funny
Tommy Lee Jones didn’t think that his dialogue in the Men in Black script was very funny, so he decided to just ad-lib his own lines on the spot. Director Barry Sonnenfeld didn’t mind, as he found Jones’ improvisations to be brilliant, and Will Smith enjoyed the challenge of trying to keep up with his co-star.
In fact, the one-upmanship that came from this improv gave the movie the comic energy that made it such a huge hit with audiences.
David Schwimmer And Chris O’Donnell Were Both Offered The Role Of Agent J Before Will Smith Was Cast
Since the Men in Black franchise mostly rested on the charms of its star Will Smith, as well as Smith’s incredible cinematic chemistry with Tommy Lee Jones, it can seem impossible to picture someone else playing Agent J. But Smith wasn’t the first choice for the part.
The role was initially offered to David Schwimmer, at the height of his Friends success, and Chris O’Donnell, who turned it down because it felt too similar to his role as Robin in Batman Forever. Before Jones was cast to play M, Clint Eastwood was considered for the part.
Sacha Baron Cohen Was Considered To Play Boris The Animal
The casting of Men in Black 3 went through a few different changes. Sacha Baron Cohen was considered for the villainous role of Boris the Animal before the part was given to Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement.
Alec Baldwin was the first choice to play Chief X, the M.I.B. boss in the ‘60s, but he had to drop out due to shooting delays. Gemma Arterton was the first choice to play the younger version of Agent O, but scheduling conflicts forced her to drop out, too.
There Could’ve Been A Men In Black/Jump Street Crossover
When notorious hacker group Guardians of Peace got into Sony Picture’s servers, they leaked thousands of emails from the studio’s top brass, and it came to light that a crossover between the Men in Black and Jump Street franchises was in development. In true Jump Street fashion, the movie would’ve poked satirical fun at the rise of shared cinematic universes.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were both attached to the project, which was dubbed MIB 23, but it never materialized — possibly because the email leak took the air of its tires.
Quentin Tarantino Was Offered The Chance To Direct Men In Black
Before Barry Sonnenfeld was chosen to direct Men in Black, the job was offered to Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino and An American Werewolf in London director John Landis. Tarantino presumably turned it down because he tends to work from his own scripts.
Landis turned it down because he thought it was too similar to his previous film The Blue Brothers, just with aliens. After seeing how successfully Men in Black turned out, Landis came to regret his decision to reject the producers’ offer.
Men In Black II’s Beatboxing Alien Scene Grew Out Of A Set Visit By Biz Markie
One day, rapper Biz Markie visited the set of Men in Black II and director Barry Sonnenfeld overheard him beatboxing with Will Smith. This gave Sonnenfeld the idea to add the scene where Agent J talks to an alien — played by Markie — in the post office in a beatboxing language.
The beatboxing language came straight from the beatbox routine that Sonnenfeld heard Smith and Markie doing. J’s second beat is taken straight from Slick Rick’s “La Di Da Di.”
Men In Black 3 Began Shooting Without A Complete Script
Although its plot holds up surprisingly well in the final cut, Men in Black 3 began shooting without a complete script. This led to a production delay — the production delay that resulted in Alec Baldwin dropping out of the film — as the script had to be completely rewritten.
Halle Berry And Jennifer Lopez Auditioned To Play The Female Lead In Men In Black II
When casting was underway for Men in Black II, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, and even Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson’s voice actor) tried out for the female lead role, Serleena.
Famke Janssen was cast in the role, and even filmed some scenes. However, following a death in the family, Janssen dropped out of the project and the role had to be recast with Lara Flynn Boyle.
F. Gary Gray Had A Nightmarish Experience Working On Men In Black: International
When Straight Outta Compton’s F. Gary Gray first signed on to direct Men in Black: International, he planned to make a darker movie than the previous M.I.B. entries that would explore modern social issues. However, producer Walter Parkes wanted a serviceable, featherlight blockbuster. Gray and Parkes butted heads during production, as Parkes rewrote the script during filming and even took over directing duties on some days.
Usually, a studio executive is assigned to mediate conflicts between directors and producers, but the executive chosen to oversee conflicts on Men in Black: International left the studio in the middle of production, which only exacerbated the disagreements.
Michael Jackson Tried To Convince Sony Executives To Let Him Replace Will Smith In Men In Black II
Michael Jackson briefly cameos in Men in Black II as Agent M. When he was first offered the opportunity, the King of Pop said that he would play a major role in the sequel for free if the studio would kick out Will Smith so he could be the star.
Jackson was unable to convince Sony executives to remove Smith from his own franchise — especially since his star power made the franchise a hit in the first place — so Jackson only got a cameo.
