Editing Men in Black (1997 film) (section)

===Box office===
''Men in Black'' earned $4.8 million from Tuesday night previews and went on to gross $14 million on its opening day, bringing the total gross to $18.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-04-ca-9538-story.html|title='Men in Black' Is Wearing Long Green|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 4, 1997|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416043244/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-04-ca-9538-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During its opening weekend, it generated $51.1 million, making it the third-highest opening weekend of all time, behind ''[[Batman Forever]]'' and ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''. The film then grossed $84.1 million during its five-day Wednesday opening. It surpassed ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]'' for having three records. These were the biggest three-day Fourth of July opening weekend, the largest July opening weekend and the highest opening weekend for a non-sequel film.<ref name="MenInGreen">{{cite news |last=Willis |first=Kim |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99621679/call-them-men-in-green/ |title=Call them 'Men in Green' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412203943/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99621679/call-them-men-in-green/ |date=July 8, 1997 |access-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-date=April 12, 2022 |page=76 |work=Gannett News Service |publisher=[[Courier-News|The Courier-News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film would hold the latter two records for three years until 2000 when ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' took them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Block |first=Alex Ben |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99675126/x-men-tops-in-575-million-opening/ |title='X-Men' tops in $57.5 million opening |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410183010/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99675126/x-men-tops-in-575-million-opening/ |date=July 21, 2000 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |page=34 |work=Bridge News |publisher=[[The Montana Standard]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Audiences mobbed multiplexes for the opening of "X-Men" as... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/07/16/Audiences-mobbed-multiplexes-for-the-opening-of-X-Men-as/7694963720000/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |work=[[United Press International]] |date=July 16, 2000 |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228183046/https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/07/16/Audiences-mobbed-multiplexes-for-the-opening-of-X-Men-as/7694963720000/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two years later, its successor ''[[Men in Black II]]'' broke the record for having the highest three-day Fourth of July opening weekend.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/08/movies/box-office-has-a-record-weekend-men-in-black-leading-the-way.html |title=Box Office Has a Record Weekend, 'Men in Black' Leading the Way |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 8, 2002 |last1=Lyman |first1=Rick |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |access-date=April 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324192608/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/08/movies/box-office-has-a-record-weekend-men-in-black-leading-the-way.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Moreover, ''Men in Black'' held the record for having the highest opening weekend for an action-packed comedy film until ''[[Rush Hour 2]]'' surpassed it in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Weekend Box Office: Rush Hour Jams Theaters|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/07/weekend-box-office-rush-hour-jams-theaters|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=July 13, 2022|date=August 7, 2001|archive-date=July 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713033202/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/07/weekend-box-office-rush-hour-jams-theaters|url-status=live}}</ref> It would remain in the number one spot at the box office for three weeks until it was beaten by ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633734/presidential-bravery-triumphs-at-box/ |title=Presidential bravery triumphs at box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902221737/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633734/presidential-bravery-triumphs-at-box/ |newspaper=[[The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)|The Reporter]] |page=13 |date=July 28, 1997 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633236/air-force-one-tops-box-office/ |title='Air Force One' tops box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903171858/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633236/air-force-one-tops-box-office/ |newspaper=[[The Commercial Appeal]] |page=15 |date=July 28, 1997 |access-date=September 3, 2022 |archive-date=September 3, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film also competed against ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' and ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' during its theatrical run.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-19-ca-14132-story.html|title=No Herculean Gross; Why?|last=Dutka|first=Elaine|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 19, 1997|access-date=August 18, 2015|archive-date=November 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105231929/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-19-ca-14132-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Men in Black'' grossed $250.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $338.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $589.3 million.<ref name="BOM"/> It would hold the record for being Sony's highest-grossing film until it was surpassed by ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' five years later in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Brandon |date=May 20, 2002 |title='Spider-Man,' 'About a Boy' Survive and Thrive Under 'Attack' |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2054423556/ |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |archive-date=January 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101161553/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2054423556/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/04/14/anaconda-starring-jennifer-lopez-and-ice-cube-diverse-hollywood-future-sans-harry-potter-spider-man/?sh=2096d28acfd5|title='Anaconda' Showed Us A Future Stolen By Harry Potter And Spider-Man|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416043248/https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/04/14/anaconda-starring-jennifer-lopez-and-ice-cube-diverse-hollywood-future-sans-harry-potter-spider-man/?sh=2096d28acfd5|url-status=live}}</ref> The film grossed a record $10.7 million in its opening weekend in Germany, beating the record held by ''Independence Day''.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=9|date=October 15, 2001|title='Pie' flies high in Germany}}</ref>

Despite its grosses, writer Ed Solomon has said that Sony claims the film has never turned a profit, which is attributed to [[Hollywood accounting]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Butler|first=Tom|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/men-in-black-profits-ed-solomon-104552239.html|title=1997 hit 'Men in Black' is still yet to make a profit says screenwriter|work=[[Yahoo!]]|date=December 31, 2020|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804005631/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/men-in-black-profits-ed-solomon-104552239.html|url-status=live}}</ref>