Since the ’90s, Will Smith has starred in some amazing sci-fi movies. The genre was one of his parade disciplines, until finally his heart project After Earth failed in 2013 – a million flop. Perhaps Smith’s most famous sci-fi blockbuster Men in Black also lost a lot of money, but for different reasons. Today the film is on VOX TV: at 8:15 p.m.
Find out here the story of an expensive monster that was not allowed to appear in the originally planned film ending.
What is Men in Black about?
Men in Black – Trailer (German) HD
Will Smith plays Agent J, who begins the film as a regular New York cop. A successful alien chase earns him an interview with the Men in Black. The secret organization protects the world from aliens, but also works with extraterrestrial societies. Agent J passes the test and is introduced to the Men in Black mission by Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones).
Men in Black wasted a fortune on a monster that doesn’t appear in the film
The many aliens designed in detail are among the most important ingredients for the success of the blockbuster. Some were brought to life with CGI, others are “real”, hand-made dolls. A spoiler now follows: Also the giant cockroach “Edgar” that J and K fight at the end was originally an animatronic rack. But the stiff-necked monster ultimately no longer met the action demands of those responsible.
According to director Barry Sonnenfeld, prosthetics artist Rick Baker “Spent almost a million dollars to build a 20-foot-tall Edgar insect. It could bend over, but it couldn’t walk.” Will Smith was supposed to talk to this alien in the finale. That would have been the original Men in Black ending. Of course it turned out differently.
‘This is an action-adventure comedy with too little action and too little adventure’
Author Ed Solomon was created by visual effects boss Eric Brevig brought down to earth. “Guys, you’re going to have to do this with visual effects.” Because the film had too little action for an action blockbuster, that became clear to the makers. sun field: “I kept saying, ‘This is an action-adventure comedy with too little action and too little adventure.'” A more agile monster was needed for this.
And so the outrageously expensive Edgar Cockroach doll went into the metaphorical trash and $1 million was gone. Men in Black’s track record was hardly diminished by this: The blockbuster brought in almost 600 million US dollars again.
Would you have liked to see the original ending?