70 Fun Facts About Men in Black

Who directed the first three Men in Black films?

The producers wanted him because of The Addams Family, and waited through his Get Shorty commitment rather than settle for another director.

Which comic-book publisher's series was Men in Black based on?

Lowell Cunningham's comic was first put out by Aircel/Malibu in 1990, and Marvel inherited it when it bought Malibu in 1994.

What is Agent K's real name?

Both agents share initials with their code letters: K is Kevin Brown, and J is James Darrell Edwards III.

Before joining the MIB, Agent J worked for which organization?

K recruits him after watching him chase down an alien suspect on foot through the Guggenheim Museum.

What is the memory-erasing device used by MIB agents called?

Its flash sound effect was originally a strobe light recycling; the sequel cleaned up the recording using a Synclavier.

Which actor did the studio want for Agent K before Tommy Lee Jones was cast?

Jones only signed on after Steven Spielberg promised the script would improve; he thought the first draft 'stank'.

Which Batman & Robin actor did the studio and Spielberg prefer for Agent J?

Sonnenfeld talked O'Donnell out of it by telling him he was not a good director and the script was one to skip.

Why was Will Smith cast as Agent J?

Sonnenfeld also liked his dramatic work in Six Degrees of Separation; David Schwimmer turned the part down and later regretted it.

Who plays Edgar, the farmer whose skin the Bug wears?

Turturro and Campbell were both offered the role first; D'Onofrio based Edgar's voice on George C. Scott and John Huston.

Which pawn-shop-owning alien keeps getting his head shot off?

Tony Shalhoub plays him in the first two films and voiced him in the first season of the animated series before Billy West took over.

Who plays Chief Zed, head of the MIB, in the first two films?

Emma Thompson's Agent O succeeds him as head of the agency in Men in Black 3.

What is the name of the cat wearing the tiny galaxy on its collar?

The dying alien's clue that 'the galaxy is on Orion's Belt' points to the collar, not the constellation.

The dying alien Rosenberg was a prince of which alien empire?

The Baltians were written out of the plot with only two weeks of post-production left, though the novelization still has them.

Where does the Bug try to escape Earth in the finale of the first film?

The MIB hid the flying saucers there during the 1964-65 World's Fair, which is why the towers look like they do.

Which real New York structure serves as the exterior of MIB headquarters?

Sonnenfeld moved the whole story to New York, calling it 'The French Connection with aliens'.

Who created the alien makeup and creature effects for the Men in Black films?

Baker called it the most complex production of his career, needing more sketches than all his earlier films combined.

Which Academy Award did the first Men in Black win?

It was also nominated for art direction and score, losing those to Titanic and The Full Monty.

Who composed the score for all four Men in Black films?

He was hired without any discussion after visiting the set to watch D'Onofrio film the final scene.

Will Smith's theme song 'Men in Black' heavily samples which 1982 hit?

Coko of SWV sings the re-worked chorus, and the song won Smith a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.

Why did 'Men in Black' miss the Billboard Hot 100 despite topping the airplay chart?

It reached number one in Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, the UK and elsewhere, and was Smith's first hit under his real name.

Which brand's Predator 2 sunglasses saw sales triple after the first film?

The agents wear them to protect themselves from the neuralyzer, and the home video release came with a rebate on a pair.

Roughly how much did the first Men in Black gross worldwide?

It was the third-highest-grossing film of 1997 and Sony's biggest ever until Spider-Man in 2002.

Which Elvis Presley song plays as the MIB car drives along the ceiling of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel?

K's response to J's protests is that Elvis is not dead, he 'just went home'.

In which year was the first Men in Black released?

It opened over the Fourth of July weekend and set records for a non-sequel opening that stood until X-Men in 2000.

Where does J find the retired, neuralyzed K working at the start of Men in Black II?

J wins him back by exposing his postal co-workers as disguised aliens.

Who plays the shapeshifting villain Serleena in Men in Black II?

Janssen was originally cast but dropped out; Boyle's performance earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.

Which pop star cameos in Men in Black II asking to become 'Agent M'?

Sonnenfeld wanted him to play an alien, but he insisted on wearing the black suit; it was his final feature film appearance.

Which Jackass star plays the two-headed alien Scrad and Charlie?

Charlie is the smaller second head on a stalk sprouting from Scrad's neck.

The climax of Men in Black II was originally filmed at which location before being reshot after 9/11?

The finale was moved to the Statue of Liberty, whose torch turns out to hold a giant neuralyzer.

What powerful item are the Zarthans trying to protect in Men in Black II?

It turns out to be Rosario Dawson's character Laura, the long-lost Zarthan princess.

Which name is shared by the giant subway-dwelling worm alien in Men in Black II?

J tricks Serleena into being eaten by him, and a special vise crushed a real subway car for the effects shot.

Who plays Agent J's short-lived partner Agent T in Men in Black II?

J has developed a habit of neuralyzing partners he thinks cannot cope, and T gets the flash after an incident with the worm.

Which Will Smith song is the theme of the second film?

Men in Black 3 broke the pattern: its lead single, 'Back in Time', was by Pitbull.

Who plays the young Agent K in the 1969 scenes of Men in Black 3?

Sonnenfeld considered Wahlberg first; Roger Ebert singled out Brolin's Tommy Lee Jones impression as a model of good casting.

Who plays the villain Boris the Animal in Men in Black 3?

The Flight of the Conchords star's Boris hates the nickname and insists 'it's just Boris'.

To which date does J travel back in Men in Black 3?

The day before Apollo 11 launches, which is where the ArcNet shield needs to be attached.

Which pop artist turns out to be an undercover MIB agent in Men in Black 3?

Bill Hader plays him as Agent W, holding court at the Factory.

Who replaced Rip Torn as head of the MIB in Men in Black 3, playing Agent O?

Alice Eve plays the younger O in 1969, and Thompson returned for International.

Where does Boris the Animal escape from at the start of Men in Black 3?

K shot off his arm and arrested him in 1969, so revenge means changing history.

What does J discover about the army colonel who helps the agents at Cape Canaveral in Men in Black 3?

K neuralyzes the colonel's young son afterward, which is why J never knew what happened.

Which alien in Men in Black 3 can see every possible future at once?

Michael Stuhlbarg's Archanan ends the film calling the restored timeline his 'new favorite moment in human history'.

Approximately what was the production budget of Men in Black 3?

Shooting began before the second and third acts were finished, which Sonnenfeld admitted was either 'genius' or 'a really stupid idea'.

Which entry in the series is the highest-grossing worldwide?

It took $654 million, helped by a record IMAX Memorial Day weekend, and was the first in the series released in 3D.

Which car became the MIB's official vehicle in Men in Black 3?

The first two films used a Crown Victoria and a Mercedes; the 1969 scenes use a 1964 Ford Galaxie.

Who directed Men in Black: International (2019)?

Sonnenfeld stayed on only as an executive producer; the shoot was marred by clashes between Gray and producer Walter Parkes.

Which Thor co-stars headline Men in Black: International?

Hemsworth's Agent H and Thompson's Agent M work out of the London branch, chasing a mole inside the agency.

Who plays High T, head of the MIB's London branch, in International?

The twist is that he was converted by the Hive during the 2016 battle at the Eiffel Tower.

Which comedian voices Pawny, the tiny alien warrior in Men in Black: International?

Pawny pledges loyalty to Agent M after she and H find him in Marrakesh.

In which city does the finale of Men in Black: International take place?

The Hive's wormhole opens at the Eiffel Tower, which is also where the original migration to Earth arrived.

On which programming block did the Men in Black animated series air from 1997 to 2001?

In the cartoon's alternate timeline K never retired and J is still treated as a rookie.

Which alien informant lives in New York disguised as a pug?

Voiced by Tim Blaney in the films, he sits at a newspaper stand and knows Rosenberg was guarding a miniature galaxy.

Who created the original Men in Black comic book?

Only six issues were published, three in 1990 and three in 1991, and the comic's agents also chased demons, zombies and werewolves.

At which theme park is the ride Men in Black: Alien Attack located?

The franchise also produced a 1997 role-playing game and a PC shooter that reviewed poorly.

The films draw on which 1956 book alleging that UFO witnesses were silenced by black-clad agents?

The 1997 film was the first major movie to feature the 'Men in Black' of UFO lore, but told from the conspirators' side.

Which alien race threatens to destroy Earth in the first film if the galaxy is not returned?

Their warship arrives in orbit and gives the MIB a deadline, forcing a lockdown of all transportation.

Which alien race, extinct by 2012, was kept from invading Earth by the ArcNet in Men in Black 3?

Boris wants K dead so the shield never goes up and his people can invade after all.

How did the original ending of the first film differ before it was reshot?

Sonnenfeld decided it lacked action five months into shooting, and the new CGI Bug fight added $4.5 million to the budget.

Who wrote the screenplay for the first Men in Black film?

Koepp would later be hired for the sequels, though he left the second film to work on Spider-Man.

Which actress plays Dr. Laurel Weaver, the deputy medical examiner who becomes Agent L?

She was left out of the 2002 sequel, which briefly mentions that J had her neuralyzed.

Where did the first Men in Black hold its premiere on June 25, 1997?

Its $51.1 million opening weekend was then the third-biggest ever, behind Batman Forever and The Lost World.

Under which imprint was the original three-issue Men in Black comic published in 1990?

Malibu Comics later acquired the imprint, and Marvel bought Malibu in 1994, three years before the film.

Who illustrated the original Men in Black comic book series?

Lowell Cunningham created and wrote the series, which was based on the men-in-black conspiracy theory.

Who plays Laura Vasquez, the pizzeria worker revealed as the Light of Zartha, in Men in Black II?

Her character is revealed as the daughter of Princess Lauranna and must leave Earth within the hour.

Which Pitbull song plays over the end credits of Men in Black 3?

It was the first lead single for a Men in Black film not performed by Will Smith.

Where did Men in Black 3 hold its world premiere on May 14, 2012?

Outside North America it became the franchise's highest-grossing film, with $21.7 million from China alone on opening weekend.

Who wrote the first Men in Black 3 script draft, before David Koepp and Jeff Nathanson's rewrites?

Nathanson was brought in specifically to rewrite the 1969 section of the script.

Which Activision game, released alongside Men in Black 3, starred a brand-new MIB agent?

It came out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii on May 22, 2012, three days before the film.

Who plays Agent C, the senior London agent sceptical of H's past, in Men in Black: International?

Rebecca Ferguson appears as Riza, an intergalactic arms dealer and H's ex-girlfriend.

Which Sony executive's 2018 exit set off the Gray-Parkes clashes on Men in Black: International?

Sony tested two cuts of the film, one by each man, and chose Parkes's as the theatrical version.

Which carmaker designed an alien spaceship based on one of its models for Men in Black: International?

Its RC and RX models, in F Sport trim, also feature in the film.