MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL Exposé Reveals Why The Film Was Destined To Fail

After detailing why Fox's Dark Phoenix failed, The Hollywood Reporter is back with an equally insightful write-up on why another summer comic book adaptation was always going to be a box office bomb...

By MarkJulian - Jun 17, 2019 08:06 PM EST

Filed Under: Men in Black

Source: THR

All three previous Men in Black films opened to at least $50 million or more domestically, however the soft reboot of the franchise starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson opened to a tepid $30 million.

On paper, it seemed like a surefire hit, with Hemsworth and Thompson coming off their course-correcting efforts to right the Thor franchise and scene-stealing performances in the record-setting two-part Avengers epic. Director F. Gary Gray had just delivered a $1.1 billion grossing Fast and Furious installment in 2017 after helming the under appreciated NWA biopic Straight Out of Compton.

Again, it definitely looked as if Sony had put together a winning team. However, a new report states that tension between Gray and the film's producer, along with multiple script rewrites, led to the project's downfall.

Click the Next button below for additional details.

CLASH BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

men-in-black-international-london-photocall-getty-h-2019

It seems the exit of Sony Executive Vice-President Of Production David Beaubaire opened the door for a tug-of-war between director F. Gary Gray and producer Walter Parkes, who helped make the first 3 MIB films. Parkes would be heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the film according to THR, which resulted in confusion and uncertainty.

MULTIPLE SCRIPT REWRITES

Industry insiders told THR that a studio wouldn't be able to sign the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson without a stellar script. Prior to shooting, the script was said to be edgier and more modern with a story that tied back to the real-world issue of immigration.

It seems that tone didn't sit well with Parkes, who had multiple script rewrites commissioned before and during filming. The script was in so much turmoil that Hemsworth and Thompson hired their own dialogue writers to keep up with all the changes.

F. GARY GRAY WANTED OFF THE PROJECT

Straight-Outta-Compton-18-Director-F.-Gary-Gray

Parkes ultimately had final cut on the film and in addition to rewriting the script, actually stepped behind the camera on multiple occasions. This angered Gary Gray to the point that he wanted to walk away from the project, but was ultimately convinced to stay on by Sony.

LACK OF MEDIATION BY SONY

The studio was an absentee landlord. They were nowhere to be found," one source told THR. It seems Sony had very little investment in the $110 million project as multiple outside co-financiers were brought in early. Sony also kept marketing costs for the film in the lower tier.

TEST SCREENING

In the end, F. Gary Gray assembled his own cut of the film and Walter Parkes produced his own edit. Both versions were screened for test audiences and it seems the studio chose Parkes version simply because he held final cut rights.

Will Smith Recalls How Steven Spielberg Convinced Him To Make MEN IN BLACK

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180 Comments

1 2 3 4 5

tmp3 - 6/17/2019, 8:54 PM

Almost every movie has production hiccups, but it's always so funny that as soon as one flops THR or Deadline run exposé's about how they were disasters. Like, Days of Future Past's set was meant to be a nightmare but we didn't hear anything for years about that.

tmp3 - 6/17/2019, 8:57 PM

Also, I think the reason it's doing so poorly is because all the trailers made it look cringe. That and they were selling the whole film on Hemsworth, a man whose done flop after flop outside of the MCU but is still given more big films

tmp3 - 6/17/2019, 9:03 PM

@MarvellousPORG - I think he's a good actor who keeps picking the wrong projects. He should be doing more comedies, or if he wants to do dramas don't do ones with hefty price tags that they won't make back - do indie work.

dracula - 6/17/2019, 9:09 PM

@tmp3 - plus the people go to those movies for Will Smith, lets face it 90% of Will Smith's movies would be considered crap if he wasn't in it. This failed and so did Independence Day 2. The difference between those films and the original, no Will Smith

Scarilian - 6/17/2019, 8:57 PM

It's a movie nobody needed nor wanted with two lead characters who feel like they were typecast into the role simple because they appeared in Thor Ragnarok together - it was never going to be anything more than that.

1 2 3 4 5

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL Exposé Reveals Why The Film Was Destined To Fail

After detailing why Fox's Dark Phoenix failed, The Hollywood Reporter is back with an equally insightful write-up on why another summer comic book adaptation was always going to be a box office bomb...

CLASH BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

MULTIPLE SCRIPT REWRITES

F. GARY GRAY WANTED OFF THE PROJECT

LACK OF MEDIATION BY SONY

TEST SCREENING

Will Smith Recalls How Steven Spielberg Convinced Him To Make MEN IN BLACK

21 JUMP STREET Directors Share Details On What They Had Planned For That MEN IN BLACK Crossover

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SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY's Directors On Being Fired And Why Their JUMP STREET/MEN IN BLACK Movie Was Scrapped

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