Hancock (film)

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Hancock
Hancockposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Berg
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Tobias Schliessler
Edited by
Music by John Powell
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • July 2, 2008 (2008-07-02)(United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million [1]
Box office$629.4 million [1]

Hancock is a 2008 American satirical superhero film directed by Peter Berg from a screenplay by Vince Gilligan and Vy Vincent Ngo, co-produced by and starring Will Smith in the title role, along with Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman.

Contents

The story was originally written by Vy Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years with various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann (who would later co-produce the film), Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino, before being filmed in 2007 in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million.

In the United States, the film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America after changes were made at their request in order to avoid an R rating, which it had received twice before. The film was released on July 2, 2008, in the United States by Columbia Pictures. Hancock received mixed reviews from critics who praised its humor, performances, visual effects and premise, but criticized its execution and failure to deliver on its potential, especially during its second half. But over the years, it has gained a cult following. It grossed $629.4 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2008.

Plot

John Hancock is an alcoholic, reckless superhuman imbued with flight, invulnerability, and super-strength. Acting as a local haphazard and unrefined superhero in Los Angeles, he is often ridiculed and hated by the public for his drunken and careless crime fighting acts and rude and unpleasant disposition.

Hancock rescues Ray Embrey, a public relations specialist, from an oncoming train, which he needlessly derails in the process. Thankful and seeing a career opportunity, Ray offers to help improve Hancock's public image. Hancock meets Ray's family, his son Aaron, and his wife Mary, who is suspicious of him.

Ray encourages Hancock to issue a public apology, and then go to prison for a time, until Los Angeles needs him properly. He reluctantly agrees, struggling to fit in at prison. Two fellow inmates soon threaten him as he put them there, so he injures them. Hancock is visited by Ray, who encourages him to be patient. However, when he hears he might be in for 8 years, he panics and starts to break out, although Ray is able to calm him down and persuade him to stay and stick to the plan. Hancock is later visited by Mary and Aaron, who bring him homemade spaghetti with meatballs.

The crime rate in Los Angeles rises and Hancock is eventually released to help. He foils a bank robbery orchestrated by Red Parker, with Hancock slicing off his hand to prevent him from activating a dead man's switch. He is praised as a hero and becomes popular.

Hancock has dinner with Ray and Mary, and reveals that he is an amnesiac and immortal, having woken up in a hospital 80 years ago with no memory of his identity. The doctors told him that as he was stopping a mugging and was clubbed in the head. Ray tells Hancock that Mary is Aaron's stepmother and that his biological mother had died in childbirth. Carrying a drunk Ray home, Hancock kisses Mary, who kisses him back but then throws him through the wall, revealing that she also has superpowers.

The next day, Hancock and Mary speak in private. She explains that there were more like them in the past – sometimes called angels or gods by others – but they are the last pair. They have lived for three thousand years and are soulmates. The other angels/gods paired up, lived human lives and then died.

Hancock flies away to tell Ray about Mary kissing him, only for her to chase him and incite a violent battle across the city. Ray witnesses the fight, later confronting the duo. Mary admits Hancock is actually her husband from the past, but that she chose to quietly leave him once he had lost his memory.

After stopping a store robbery, Hancock finds that a bullet has hurt him and he needs hospital treatment. Mary explains that the closer they are, the more mortal they become. They will lose their powers unless they stay apart. The last time Hancock and Mary were together was eighty years ago when Hancock was attacked.

Parker, who escaped prison with several other criminals, attacks the hospital to get revenge. Mary is caught in the crossfire and injured. Hancock manages to use some of his fading strength to fight and kill the convicts, but is further injured when Parker shoots him. He is saved by Ray, who cuts off Parker's other hand with a fire axe before killing him as well. Hancock throws himself out of the hospital, trying to increase his distance from Mary so they can both recover, before flying off.

A month later, Ray and his family receive a call from Hancock (who is now in New York City), revealing that he has imprinted the Moon's surface with Ray's AllHeart marketing logo. In a mid-credits scene, Hancock confronts a criminal holding a woman at gunpoint and demanding that he help him escape from the police, while calling him an asshole in the process, much to Hancock's amusement.

Cast

Actors Johnny Galecki and Thomas Lennon also appear in the film as Mike and Jeremy. Mike Epps makes an uncredited cameo in the post-credits scene. Film producers Akiva Goldsman and Michael Mann appear as executives listening to Ray's lecture. [9] Television host Nancy Grace also has a cameo appearance. [10] Daeg Faerch appears as Michel, the young French American neighborhood bully who is thrown by Hancock in the air for repeatedly insulting him. Atticus Shaffer, later known for his role in the sitcom The Middle , also makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the film.

Production

Development

[Vy Vincent Ngo] told me the motivation for [the idea] was that he loved Superman. It inspired him, and he wanted to do a version of Superman that was more real and challenging. He wanted to take the Superman genre and turn it upside down.

—Dustin Nguyen on his reclusive friend's spec script [4]

Vy Vincent Ngo wrote the spec script Tonight, He Comes in 1996. The draft, about a troubled 12-year-old, and a fallen superhero, was initially picked up by director Tony Scott as a potential project. [11] Producer Akiva Goldsman came across the script, which he had considered a favorite, [12] and encouraged Richard Saperstein, then president of development and production at Artisan Entertainment, to acquire it in 2002. [11] Michael Mann was initially attached to direct Tonight, He Comes, but he instead opted to direct Miami Vice . [12] Eventually, Artisan placed the project in turnaround, and it was acquired by Goldsman. [13]

Dave Chappelle was at one point considered for the lead role. [14]

Vince Gilligan and John August rewrote Ngo's script, [15] and Jonathan Mostow was attached to direct the film. Under Mostow's supervision, a ten-page treatment was written to be pitched to Will Smith to portray the lead role in the film. Neither Mostow nor Smith was yet committed to make the project an active priority at the time. Several studios pursued the opportunity to finance the film, and Columbia Pictures succeeded in acquiring the project in February 2005. A second draft was scripted by Gilligan, following the finalization of the deal with Columbia. The film was initially slated for a holiday 2006 release. [13]

In November 2005, Mostow and Smith committed to Tonight, He Comes, with production slated to begin in Los Angeles in summer 2006. [12] Smith's salary in his pay or play contract for the film was $20 million and 20 percent of the film's gross. [16] The actor had also set up a pay or play contract to film I Am Legend at Warner Bros. after completion of Tonight, He Comes. [17] Mostow eventually departed from the project due to creative differences. [18] Italian director Gabriele Muccino filled Mostow's vacancy in May 2006. Since Muccino was busy editing The Pursuit of Happyness starring Smith, which Muccino had directed, Smith switched projects to film I Am Legend first for its December 2007 release, and then film Tonight, He Comes afterward. [19] Later in the month, Muccino left the project because of an incompatibility with filming the story. Since Muccino was preparing The Pursuit of Happyness, the studio had delayed the production start for Tonight, He Comes to summer 2007, enabling Warner Bros. to begin production of I Am Legend with Smith. [18]

Filming

Hollywood Boulevard was one of the film's practical locations. Hollywood boulevard from kodak theatre.jpg
Hollywood Boulevard was one of the film's practical locations.

In October 2006, Peter Berg was attached to direct Tonight, He Comes with production slated to begin in May 2007 in Los Angeles, the story's setting. [20] Berg had been midway through filming The Kingdom when he heard about the film and called Michael Mann, who had become one of its producers. [21] The new director compared the original script's tone to Leaving Las Vegas (1995), calling it "a scathing character study of this suicidal alcoholic superhero". The director explained the rewrite: "We thought the idea was cool, but we did want to lighten it up. We all did." [22] Before filming began, Tonight, He Comes was retitled John Hancock, [2] and it was eventually shortened to Hancock. [23]

Filming began on Hancock on July 3, 2007, in Los Angeles, [24] having a production budget of $150 million. [15] Locations such as Hollywood Boulevard were designed to look damaged, having rubble, overturned vehicles, and fires. [25] Smith's character is also an alcoholic, so for scenes in liquor stores, the art department designed fake labels such as Pap Smear Vodka for the bottles because "brown-bag brands" like Thunderbird and Night Train refused to lend their names. [26] Reshoots were filmed in Times Square in May 2008, the late date resulting in the cancellation of the film's original world premiere in Australia on June 10, 2008. [4]

Visual effects

Hancock was Peter Berg's first film with visual effects as critical cinematic elements. [21] He considered the computer-generated fight his least favorite part of the film, citing limited control in making the scene successful. According to the director, "Once the fight starts, you're very limited and you're at the mercy of your effects guys ... unless they're really technically oriented ... it's definitely the time we have the least amount of control as directors." He and other filmmakers worked to cut down on the fight scene, believing that the film's success would come from the character study of Smith's character, John Hancock, similar to Robert Downey Jr.'s acclaimed portrayal of Tony Stark in the previous May's superhero release, Iron Man . [22]

Visual effects supervisor Carey Villegas described Peter Berg's photography as "very high energy", to which the visual effects crew had difficulty adapting. Though the crew had estimated developing 300 visual effects shot at its initial bid, the final tally was approximately 525 shots. An unexpected shot was a scene in which Hancock shoves a prisoner's head up another's anus, and filmmakers initially attempted to film it conventionally, using sleight of hand techniques with cameras. Finding that doing so did not capture "the vulgarity of the gag", the crew was enlisted to use computer-generated effects. Visual effects were also applied in conjunction with the film's choreography, incorporating palm trees, twisters, and debris in the computer-generated fight scene and combining visual effects with a crane shot to portray Hancock's derailment of a freight train. [27]

Release

Theatrical

Hancock had its world premiere as the opener at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival on June 19, 2008. [28] To avoid copyright infringement, organizers took "unprecedented" steps to prevent illegal reproduction of the film. [29]

For the film, Sony created a digital cinema package (DCP) having 4K resolution, containing four times more information than the typical DCP that possessed 2K resolution. Projectors for the higher-resolution package have been installed in 200 theaters in the United States with two dozen in evaluation. [30]

Marketing

The New York Times noted that Hancock's original story and controversial subject matter present a stark contrast to "a summerful of sequels and animated sure shots" and represent a gamble for "an increasingly corporate entertainment industry". Hancock had been reviewed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) twice, and both times received an R rating instead of the makers' preferred PG-13 rating to target broader audiences. [15]

The MPAA questioned elements including Smith's character drinking in front of a 7-year-old and the character flying under the influence of alcohol. Scenes that were removed to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA included a scene of statutory rape, [15] two of three uses of the word "fuck", and intense shots of needles going into arms. The MPAA allowed scenes of Hancock shoving a prisoner's head up another's behind and of Hancock having explosive ejaculation during sexual intercourse, though Berg chose to save the latter scene for the DVD, explaining: "It just wasn't that funny. Never was. You'd put it in front of an audience and there'd be two, maybe three people laughing. There was no way to do that and then regain even a modicum of emotional integrity." The director kept the scene with the prisoners, since a Las Vegas test screening was overwhelmingly successful: "At the end of the day, I couldn't ignore an audience when they're laughing that hard." [31] With such elements, studio executives only became comfortable with Hancock when the marketing approach focused on action and humor. Berg noted: "The ad campaign for this movie is much friendlier than the film." [15] The MPAA ultimately gave the film a PG-13 rating, citing "some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language". [3]

Hancock was originally titled Tonight, He Comes and later changed to John Hancock, before settling on its final title. Prior to the film's release, marketing consultants attempted to persuade Sony Pictures to again change the title Hancock because it was too vague for audiences, suggesting alternatives like Heroes Never Die, Unlikely Hero and Less Than Hero. Despite the advice, Sony stayed with Hancock and anticipated marketing on the popularity of the film's star, Will Smith. [32]

Home media

Hancock was part of Sony's experiment in providing content to consumers who own a BRAVIA television equipped with an Internet connection. The film's release over the Internet took place after its theatrical run and before its release on DVD. According to Sony executives, distributing Hancock was an opportunity to showcase BRAVIA, though the method has been perceived as an "obvious threat" to cable companies' video on demand. [33] The film was available to BRAVIA owners from October 28, 2008 to November 10, 2008. [34]

The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and UMD on November 25, 2008. [35] The single-disc DVD provides a theatrical cut (92 minutes) and an unrated cut (102 minutes) as well as five featurettes and two documentaries. The double-disc DVD includes these features, a digital copy of the film, and two additional making-of extras. The Blu-ray Disc includes these, an on-set visual diary, and a picture-in-picture track. [36] George Lang of The Oklahoman described the unrated cut as "a rare instance when deleted scenes enhance the final product". [37] Christopher Monfette of IGN thought that the Blu-ray Disc was a "beautiful" transfer, the audio was well-balanced, and the featurettes were well-supplied. [38]

In the week ending November 30, Hancock placed first on three video charts: the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, Home Media Magazine's video rental chart, and Nielsen's Blu-ray Disc chart. With the year's Black Friday shopping day on November 28, Hancock was the top seller in the Blu-ray Disc format. [39] Over 5.38 million DVDs were sold for a revenue of $91,066,638. [40]

Reception

Box office

Prior to the film's opening five-day weekend in the United States and Canada, predictions for its weekend performance ranged from as low as $70 million to as high as $125 million. [41] [42] The film was shown in advance screenings on July 1, 2008, in 3,680 theaters in the United States and Canada, grossing $6.8 million. The film was widely released on July 2, 2008, expanding to 3,965 theaters. [43] At the conclusion of the five-day weekend, Hancock took top placement at the box office in the United States and Canada, grossing an estimated $103.8 million. [44] The film had the third-biggest opening 4th of July weekend after Transformers and Spider-Man 2 . Hancock was Will Smith's fifth film to open on a 4 July weekend and was his most successful opening to date. The film was also Smith's eighth film in a row to take top placement in the American and Canadian box office and the twelfth film in Smith's career to lead the box office. [45] [46] Hancock was also Peter Berg's strongest opening of his directing career to date. [47] Chad Hartigan, analyst for Exhibitor Relations, said about Smith's successful opening: "Audiences don't care what critics say; they're going to turn out for anything he does." [48]

Outside the United States and Canada, Hancock grossed $78.3 million in its opening weekend, drawing from 5,444 screenings across 50 markets, ranking it the third highest international opening of 2008 after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man . [49] Hancock averaged $14,382 per screen. It placed on top in 47 of the 50 markets in which it opened; [50] its strongest openings were the United Kingdom with $19.3 million, Germany with $12.4 million, South Korea with $8.5 million, Australia with $7.3 million, and China with $5.5 million. The Chinese opening was the fourth-biggest opening to date for the country. Other international performances included $3.4 million in Brazil and $3.1 million in Taiwan. [49] In Hong Kong, the film opened in first place with $1.3 million, averaging $37,300 across the 35 venues. [51] The film's overall gross for its opening five-day weekend worldwide is $185.6 million. [50]

In the following weekend of July 11, 2008, Hancock fell to second place in the United States and Canada behind Hellboy II: The Golden Army , grossing an estimated $33 million, a "modest" 47% drop in revenue (see second weekend in box office performance). [52] The film's recorded American and Canadian attendance was higher than the Smith feature Men in Black II in both films' second weekend, but it was significantly less than attendance records for Smith's other films, Independence Day and Men in Black through the same point. [53] Internationally Hancock expanded to 8,125 screens across 67 markets, ranking first at the box office again in 30 markets. The film's top opening grosses for the weekend included $11.4 million in Russia (589 screens), $9.9 million in France (739 screens), $4.6 million in Mexico (783 screens), $2.2 million in India (429 screens), $1.7 million in the Netherlands (90 screens), $1.3 million in Belgium (69 screens), and $1 million in Ukraine (81 screens). In territories playing Hancock for a second weekend, the United Kingdom dropped 45% to total $33.4 million to date, Germany 37% to total $24.2 million to date, South Korea 38% to total $14.7 million to date, and Australia 47% to total $14.4 million to date. [54] For the second weekend, with the 67 markets, Hancock accumulated an estimated $71.4 million in the international box office, only a $7.2 million drop from the previous weekend in territories outside the United States and Canada. [55]

In Hancock's third weekend of July 18, the film took top placement in the international box office a third time, grossing an estimated $44.8 million from 8,286 screens across 71 territories. The film had beaten The Dark Knight , which premiered that weekend in 20 international markets. Hancock had tracked 32% internationally ahead of its performance in the United States and Canada. It had opened in four new markets for the weekend, ranking first in Spain with $8.6 million from 562 sites and first in Norway with $1 million from 60 sites. Hancock also kept top placement in France, estimating $4.4 million from 741 screens for a total of $16.8 million to date. [56]

The film experienced a late resurgence in the international box office on the weekend of September 12, grossing $10.6 million from 1,425 screens in 31 markets. Making up most of the amount was $8 million from the film's premiere in Italy on 678 screens. [57] Hancock has grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and $396,440,472 in other territories for a worldwide total of $624,386,746. [1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 41% based on 227 reviews, with an average score of 5.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution." [58] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating, the film has received an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [59] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [60]

Todd McCarthy of Variety felt that the film's premise was undermined by the execution. McCarthy believed the concept ensured the film was "amusing and plausible" for its first half, but that the second half was full of illogical story developments and missed opportunities. [61] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter said that the opening established the premise well, but that the film came undone when it began to alternate between comedy and tragedy, and introduced a backstory for Hancock that did not make sense. He said it rewrote its own internal logic in order to pander to its audience. [62] Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post said it had begun with promise, but that the change in tone partway through was so abrupt that the film did not recover. [63] Jim Schembri of The Age called the change in direction "an absolute killer story twist", [64] and David Denby of The New Yorker said it lifted the film to a new level by supplementing the jokes with sexual tension and emotional power. [65]

Jim Schembri wrote that Berg's direction helped to sell Hancock's "well-drawn" backstory, [64] Todd McCarthy said the gritty visual approach adopted by Berg did not mesh well with the "vulgar goofiness" of certain scenes, [61] and Stephen Farber said that Berg's frantic direction compounded the storytelling errors. [62] Stephen Hunter said that Berg had not understood that the shifting tone and plot twists were meant to be humorous, and that he had played straight what was supposed to be a dark comedy and subversive satire. [63] David Denby said Berg's style — especially his use of close-ups — was intended to showcase "genuine actors at work", [65] while Manohla Dargis of The New York Times insisted Berg had taken Hancock to heart and brought gravity to the film. [66]

David Denby described Smith's performance as contrasting with his performances in his other films. He said: "For the first time in his life, Will Smith doesn't flirt with the audience ... he stays in character as a self-hating lonely guy." [65] Stephen Hunter argued that Smith and his co-stars had misunderstood the material in the same manner as Berg. He added that the examination of Smith's character came across at first as an examination of "phenomenally gifted" black sporting superstars who were "marginalized", "dehumanized" and exploited as a product by society. [63] Manohla Dargis was struck by Theron's performance, saying that she enabled Smith to deepen the film's emotional complexity. [66] Todd McCarthy said that Smith's "attitude-laden quips" helped to carry the film's superior first half, and that all three leads performed capably, but he said no opportunity was offered for the supporting characters to register. [61] Roger Ebert writing in the Chicago Sun Times praised the three leads, saying that Smith avoided playing Hancock "as a goofball" and instead portrayed him as a more subtle and serious character. [67] Stephen Farber said that Hancock was a good showcase for the leads, affirming that Smith shone in a film that was only sporadically worthy of his performance, [62] while Colm Andrew of the Manx Independent said that, despite the mix of themes, "the laughs are frequent and genuine (no forced slapstick), the fight scenes exciting and the emotional stuff quite moving ". [68]

Jim Schembri concluded that the film was "refreshing, savvy, fun and fast". He said it managed to mix comedy and action successfully, and that the drama came across as surprisingly genuine. [64] Stephen Farber believed that the extended development of the film had reduced its quality, but that the visual effects were "stellar" and showed wit. [62] McCarthy praised the effects, but said the film was "both overwrought and severely undernourished." [61] Roger Ebert observed the film was "a lot of fun", [67] and Manohla Dargis admitted that it was "unexpectedly satisfying". She said that while it faltered and felt rushed towards its end, it had an emotional complexity and "raggedness" that spoke with sincerity about essential human vulnerabilities. [66] Stephen Hunter concluded that Hancock was ultimately "indigestible". [63]

Accolades

Hancock won the award for "Best Summer Action/Adventure Movie" at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards. [69] Smith's performance won him the award for "Favorite Movie Actor" at the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards. [70]

Awards and nominations
CeremonyAwardCategoryNameResultRef.
Saturn Award Best Actor Will Smith Nominated [71]
Best Fantasy Film Hancock
Best Supporting Actress Charlize Theron
Best Actor Will Smith (also
for Seven Pounds )		Won
Best Foreign Language Film Peter Berg Nominated [72]
Golden Trailer
Summer 2008 BlockbusterHancock
Blimp Award
Favorite Movie ActorWill SmithWon [70]
National Movie Awards National Movie AwardBest Performance – MaleNominated
Best SuperheroHancock
People's Choice Award
Favorite SuperheroWill Smith

(as John Hancock)

 [73]
Teen Choice Award
Choice Summer:

Movie — Action Adventure

HancockWon [69]

Possible sequel

Director Peter Berg said prior to Hancock's release that if the film pulled in as much business as predicted, a sequel, Hancock 2, would likely follow. [21] After the film's release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, actor Will Smith said that there was ongoing discussion about a possible sequel, "The ideas aren't ... developed, but we are building out an entire world; I think people are going to be very surprised at the new world of Hancock." [74] In August 2009, Columbia Pictures hired screenwriters Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara to write the sequel, and the studio planned to bring back the producing team from the original film. [75] Charlize Theron confirmed that she would reprise her role, and Berg said to expect a third actor to star as another figure with powers like Smith's and Theron's characters. [76] In January 2012, Berg reaffirmed his plans to make the film. [77] During a 2020 interview, Theron indicated that she remained interested in a Hancock sequel but admitted there has been no progress to move forward to production. [78]

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Mighty Joe Young is a 1998 American epic adventure film based on the 1949 film of the same name about a giant mountain gorilla brought to a wildlife preserve in Los Angeles by a young woman who raised him, and a zoologist, to protect him from the threat of poachers until one seeks Joe out in order to take his revenge. It was directed by Ron Underwood and stars Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, Rade Šerbedžija, Naveen Andrews, Regina King and David Paymer. Creature suit actor John Alexander plays the title character. In this version, the ape is much larger than in the original. The film received mixed reviews and grossed $50.6 million in the United States against a production budget of $90 million, making it a box-office bomb.

<i>Seven Pounds</i> 2008 American drama film by Gabriele Muccino

Seven Pounds is a 2008 American drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino starring Will Smith as a man who sets out to change the lives of seven people. Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Barry Pepper also star. The film was released in theaters in the United States and Canada on December 19, 2008, by Columbia Pictures. Despite receiving negative reviews, it was a box-office success, grossing $169.7 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $54 million.

<i>The Avengers</i> (2012 film) Marvel Studios film

Marvel's The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by Joss Whedon, the film features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner as the Avengers, alongside Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Nick Fury and the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton to form a team capable of stopping Thor's brother Loki from subjugating Earth.

<i>Snow White and the Huntsman</i> 2012 film by Rupert Sanders

Snow White & the Huntsman is a 2012 American fantasy film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. The directorial debut of Rupert Sanders, it was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini, from a screen story by Daugherty. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins in his final film performance. In the film's retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna, a powerful sorceress. After Snow White escapes into the forest, Ravenna enlists Eric the Huntsman to capture her, but he becomes her companion in a quest to overthrow Ravenna.

<i>A Million Ways to Die in the West</i> 2014 film by Seth MacFarlane

A Million Ways to Die in the West is a 2014 American Western romantic action comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The film features an ensemble cast including MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson. The film follows a cowardly frontiersman who gains courage with the help of a female gunfighter and must use his newfound skills in a confrontation with her villainous outlaw husband.

<i>Shazam!</i> (film) 2019 DC Studios film

Shazam! is a 2019 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, the Safran Company, and Seven Bucks Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It was directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden who co-wrote the story with Darren Lemke, and stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou. The film follows teenager Billy Batson (Angel) as he is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam (Hounsou) to be his new champion by saying the name "Shazam", allowing him to transform into an adult superhero (Levi) with various superpowers. Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman (Grazer) must discover Billy's new powers in order to stop the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins.

<i>Deadpool</i> (film) 2016 film by Tim Miller

Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it is a spin-off of the X-Men film series and its eighth installment overall. Directed by Tim Miller and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, it stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role alongside Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, and Brianna Hildebrand. In the film, Wade Wilson hunts the man who gave him mutant abilities and a scarred physical appearance, becoming the antihero Deadpool.

<i>Suicide Squad</i> (2016 film) Superhero film by David Ayer

Suicide Squad is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics supervillain/anti-hero team of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, DC Films, and Atlas Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the third installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was written and directed by David Ayer and stars an ensemble cast led by Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne. In the film, a secret government agency led by Amanda Waller recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions and save the world from a powerful threat in exchange for reduced sentences.

<i>The Huntsman: Winters War</i> 2016 film by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

The Huntsman: Winter's War is a 2016 American fantasy action-adventure film and both a prequel and sequel to Snow White & the Huntsman (2012). As the directorial debut of Cedric Nicolas-Troyan it takes place before and after the events of the first film. The screenplay was written by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos and is based on characters created by Evan Daugherty. Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Nick Frost and Sam Claflin reprised their roles from the first film; the sequel also introduced new characters played by Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain and Rob Brydon.

<i>Atomic Blonde</i> 2017 film by David Leitch

Atomic Blonde is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by David Leitch from a screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, based on the 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The film stars Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, and Toby Jones. The story revolves around a spy who has to find a list of double agents that is being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

<i>The Old Guard</i> (2020 film) 2020 American action-fantasy film

The Old Guard is a 2020 American superhero film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Greg Rucka, based on his comic book of the same name. The film stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Veronica Ngo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and follows a team of immortal mercenaries on a revenge mission.

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Bibliography

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