Editing Men in Black (1997 film) (section)

==Production==
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2011}}

===Development===
The film is loosely based on [[Lowell Cunningham]] and [[Sandy Carruthers]]'s comic book ''[[The Men in Black (comics)|The Men in Black]]''. Producers [[Walter F. Parkes]] and [[Laurie MacDonald]] optioned the rights to ''The Men in Black'' in 1992, and hired [[Ed Solomon]] to write a very faithful script. Parkes and MacDonald wanted [[Barry Sonnenfeld]] as director because he had helmed the darkly humorous ''[[The Addams Family (1991 film)|The Addams Family]]'' and its sequel ''[[Addams Family Values]]''. However, Sonnenfeld was attached to ''[[Get Shorty (film)|Get Shorty]]'' (1995), so they instead approached [[Les Mayfield]] (best known for his remake of ''[[Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)|Miracle on 34th Street]]''). Mayfield was briefly attached before it fell through. [[John Landis]] and [[Quentin Tarantino]] were asked to direct but each declined.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/men-in-black-behind-the-scenes-battles/ | title=Men in Black: The Franchise's Behind-The-Scenes Battles | date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> As a result, ''Men in Black'' was delayed, allowing Sonnenfeld to make it his next project after ''Get Shorty''.<ref name=hughes>{{cite book | author = David Hughes | title = Comic Book Movies | publisher = [[Virgin Books]] | year = 2003 | location = London | pages = 123–129 | isbn = 0-7535-0767-6}}</ref> [[David Schwimmer]] was offered the role of Agent J but he declined due to scheduling conflicts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2024-09-18 |title=David Schwimmer Says Rejecting 'Men in Black' Offer Was a 'Brutal Decision' and It 'Would've Made Me a Movie Star'; He Chose to Direct a Film Instead |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/david-schwimmer-rejected-men-in-black-offer-brutal-decision-1236148577/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=September 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919091953/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/david-schwimmer-rejected-men-in-black-offer-brutal-decision-1236148577/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Much of the initial script drafts were set underground, with locations ranging from [[Kansas]] to [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Nevada]]. Sonnenfeld decided to change the location to New York City, because Sonnenfeld felt New Yorkers would be tolerant of aliens who behaved oddly while disguised, terming the movie as "''[[The French Connection (film)|The French Connection]]'' with aliens". He also felt much of the city's structures resembled [[flying saucer]]s and [[Space vehicle|rocket ships]].<ref name=hughes/> One of the locations Sonnenfeld thought perfect for the movie was a giant ventilation structure for the [[Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel]], which became the outside of the MIB headquarters.<ref name=met/>

===Filming===
[[File:Brooklyn battery tunnel building.jpg|thumb|right|The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel ventilation building in New York, which was used as the setting for MIB headquarters]]
[[Principal photography]] began in March 1996. Many last-minute changes ensued during production. First, the scene where James Edwards was chasing a disguised alien was to be filmed at [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts|Lincoln Center]], but the [[New York Philharmonic]] decided to charge the filmmakers for using their buildings, prompting Sonnenfeld to film the scene at the [[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum]] instead. Then, five months into the shoot, Sonnenfeld decided that the original ending, with a humorous [[Existentialism|existential]] debate between Agent J and the Bug, was unexciting and lacking the action that the rest of the film had.<ref name=met>"Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'", ''Men in Black'' Blu-ray</ref> Five potential replacements were discussed. One of these had Laurel Weaver being neuralyzed and K remaining an agent.<ref name=hughes/> Eventually it boiled down to the Bug eating K and fighting J, replacing the [[animatronic]] Bug [[Rick Baker (makeup artist)|Rick Baker]]'s crew had developed with a [[Computer-generated imagery|computer-generated]] Bug with an appearance closer to a cockroach. The whole action sequence cost an extra $4.5 million to the filmmakers.<ref name=met/>

Further changes were made during post-production to simplify the plotline involving the possession of the tiny galaxy. The Arquillians would hand over the galaxy to the Baltians, ending a long war. The Bugs need to feed on the casualties and steal the galaxy in order to continue the war. Through changing of subtitles, the images on M.I.B.'s main computer and Frank the Pug's dialogue, the Baltians were eliminated from the plot. Earth goes from being potentially destroyed in the crossfire between the two races into being possibly destroyed by the Arquillians themselves to prevent the Bugs from getting the galaxy.<ref name=hughes/> These changes to the plot were carried out when only two weeks remained in the film's post-production, but the film's novelization still contains the Baltians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55992|title=Things Get A Bit Heated Between The Infamous Billy The Kidd And Director Barry Sonnenfeld When They Talk MEN IN BLACK 3|author=Donnelly, Billy|website=[[Ain't It Cool News]]|date=May 25, 2012|access-date=May 25, 2012|archive-date=May 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527125445/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55992|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Design and visual effects===
Production designer [[Bo Welch]] designed the MIB headquarters with a 1960s tone in mind, because that was when their organization was formed. He cited influences from Finnish architect [[Eero Saarinen]], who designed a terminal at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]. As the arrival point of aliens on Earth, Welch felt the headquarters had to resemble an airport.<ref name=hughes/>

[[Rick Baker (makeup artist)|Rick Baker]] was approached to provide the prosthetic and animatronic aliens, many of whom would have more otherworldly designs instead of looking humanoid. For example, the reveal of Gentle Rosenberg's Arquillian nature went from a man with a light under his neck's skin to a small alien hidden inside a human head. Baker would describe ''Men in Black'' as the most complex production in his career, "requiring more sketches than all my previous movies together".<ref name=met/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/exclusive-rick-baker-talks-the-aliens-of-men-in-black-3/ | title=Rick Baker Talks the Aliens of Men in Black 3 &#91;Exclusive&#93; | date=May 22, 2012 | access-date=January 27, 2023 | archive-date=January 27, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127010205/https://movieweb.com/exclusive-rick-baker-talks-the-aliens-of-men-in-black-3/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/30/15905704/men-in-black-20th-anniversary-mark-setrakian-creature-effects | title=Roboticist Mark Setrakian on Men in Black's 20th anniversary: 'It's almost a perfect movie' | date=June 30, 2017}}</ref> Baker had to have approval from both Sonnenfeld and Spielberg: "It was like, 'Steven likes the head on this one and Barry really likes the body on this one, so why don't you do a mix and match?' And I'd say, because it wouldn't make any sense". Sonnenfeld also changed a lot of the film's aesthetic during pre-production: "I started out saying aliens shouldn't be what humans perceive them to be. Why do they need eyes? So Rick did these great designs, and I'd say, 'That's great — but how do we know where he's looking?' I ended up where everyone else did, only I took three months."<ref>{{cite magazine | author = Steve Daly | title = Men in Black: How'd they do that? | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = 1997-07-18 | url = https://ew.com/article/1997/07/18/behind-scenes-men-black/ | access-date = 2007-09-17 | archive-date = 2007-10-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071014234555/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,288677,00.html | url-status = live}}</ref> The maquettes built by Baker's team were later digitized by [[Industrial Light & Magic]], which was responsible for the visual effects and computer-generated imagery, for more mobile digital versions of the aliens.<ref name=met/>