“Gentlemen, congratulations. You’re everything we’ve come to expect from years of government training.”
Quentin Tarantino was originally offered the chance to direct this before Barry Sonnenfeld, but turned it down. Sonnenfeld had been a cinematographer on many successful films including: Big (1988), When Harry Met Sally (1989), the Coen brothers’ Blood Simple (1994), Raising Arizona (1987) and Miller’s Crossing (1990). His directoral debut: The Addams Family (1991) and then later Get Shorty (1995) established his reputation for directing comedy. (Right after graduating from New York Film School in 1978 he “refined” his craft making hardcore porn films.) Producer Steven Spielberg hired Sonnefeld and also brought in collaborator and writer David Koepp (Jurassic Park,1993 and The Lost World: Jurassic Park,1997) to do an uncredited rewrite. Clint Eastwood turned down the role of agent ‘K’. David Schwimmer and Chris O’ Donnell were both offered the role of ‘J’ before Will Smith, but passed. When Smith read the script he didn’t want to do it either– until his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith convinced him. John Turturro was offered the role of Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio), but had to decline. The MIB headquarters are located in the ventilation tower of the Brooklyn-Battery tunnel that connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. The film’s climax takes place where the 1964 New York World’s Fair was held. When the space ship flies over Shea Stadium the player that gets hit on the head with the fly ball is then NY Mets outfielder Bernard Gilkey. It’s rumored that Linda Fiorentino ‘won’ her role of Dr. Laurel Weaver in a poker game with Barry Sonnenfeld.
