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Back in April, we discussed whether Entertainment Weekly’s prediction that Will Smith’s Hancock would be the third highest grossing film of Summer ‘08 and the top superhero movie (discounting Indiana Jones), was accurate. On Slashfilm, interest in the big budget satire seems to be running far behind The Dark Knight, Iron Man and, arguably, The Incredible Hulk, so it’ll be interesting to see whether it reaches the teetering-on-$300 million grosses of I Am Legend. In a new article in the NYT, director and Michael Mann-protege Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) discusses the subversive nature of the film and it’s added therein that Hancock has received an R-rating twice from the MPAA.
“We had statutory rape up until three weeks ago,” Mr. Berg said, describing just one of the elements that has turned “Hancock” into an exercise in brinkmanship.
While jockish humor, action and grade-A special effects have been key to the film’s marketing, Berg adds that the final product will still contain a borderline amount of violence and sexuality sourced from the long praised original script by Vincent Ngo. This is noteworthy, if only because no other PG-13 blockbuster this summer has faced ratings challenges in the press, if memory serves. Might Hancock be darker than The Dark Knight? Sony co-chair Amy Pascal politely says of the film…
“It’s scary in that it goes farther than we’ve gone before.”
Meanwhile, Berg and writer-producer Akiva Goldsman are definitely playing up the “one for us” mentality to an intriguing degree.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:41 am
This actually raises my interest in Hancock. I was probably gonna check it out eventually anyway though.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Oh no, we can’t have an R rating we’ll lose all of our money!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Good.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:56 am
It used to be called, “Tonight he comes”
May 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Good, let’s hope this thing bombs hard. Will Smith sucks, and this film has a shitty premise.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Anyone know how to get ahold of the original Ngo script?
May 6th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Will Smith is great. Sure he’s that kind of likeable guy who never does anything wrong but he’s got charisma and can act the hell out of something when he wants to. Give the guy some credit.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Robert - yes, do a bit of script trading. Start off on IMDB.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:15 am
@Zap have you seen the new trailer? A fallen from grace superhero that everyone hates and wants locked up is actually a pretty good premise. (the Daily Bugle hating Spiderman doesn’t count)
Also I guess the Watchmen won’t be the first R rated superhero movie like the director promised lol
May 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Great, another film about blackface.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I hate Akiva Goldsmith.
Just saying.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I hate Akiva Goldsman. Not in the way that should get me banned, but more in the way of I avoid his work like the plague. I mean, did you see (Batman Forever/Batman and Robin/Lost in Space/The DaVinci Code/the last half of I am Legend)?
Just saying.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Shit
May 6th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Yes, I’ve seen the new trailer. And I’ve read the plot summary from people who have seen the film already. It’s going to be a giant stinking turd with Will Smith behind the wheel.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
i’ve been pretty excited to see Hancock, but nothing kills my anticipation for a movie like the words “written by Akiva Goldsman.” I just don’t see the appeal of his work. The films made form his screenplays are either horrible (the Batmans, DaVinci Code, Time to Kill) or utterly bland (Beautiful Mind, Cindarella Man) or both (Time to Kill).
May 6th, 2008 at 11:55 am
im more interested if it has an r rating.
might not do as well at the theatres, but ratings dont affect video rentals and sales.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I gotta admit… The throwing the whale bit in the trailer was pretty damn funny. I can’t see paying to see it…. but if I’m at someones house and they rented it, I’d probably watch it.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
yes!! i’m totally waiting for this film, and now even more so. i love that line, ‘cuz i been drinkin bitch!’
May 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I hate Akiva.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Duh, “Cock” is in the name.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
“I hate Akiva Goldsman. Not in the way that should get me banned, but more in the way of I avoid his work like the plague. I mean, did you see (Batman Forever/Batman and Robin/Lost in Space/The DaVinci Code/the last half of I am Legend)?
Just saying.”
Well, I had been kind of excited about it, until I read this…dammit! Never heard of this dude before but now I will certainly steer clear of his films.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Seriously…they made it R-Status? This is so lame, why do they have to build a movie up to be a possible summer “family” blockbuster, and they throw the R stamp on it? They just lost out big time! It’s July 4th weekend people!!! Who goes to the movies those weekends???? FAMILIES! Thumbs up to the studio on that one..Who cares, anyways, people can just save their hard earned money for The Dark Knight later that month..I know I will…
May 6th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
i never saw this movie as family friendly,, i mean the first five seconds of the trailer some kid calls him a jackass, then he grabs his forty and drunkenly flies into stuff. its fucking funny though
May 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
@ Marina
The film is PG-13, but it received an R twice and underwent edits. This point is made clear in the post above.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Berg is a Michael Mann Protege? That must be based on something specific. Yes, I have certainly liked some of his stuff, and he has managed to do some diverse work, but Mann?
Mann is someone I can feel through his work (the opposite of the ‘Hack’ as some have mentioned in these pages) and someone whose films never fail to leave an impression of intent, power, and forethought. Perhaps I’m missing something in Berg’s work, or perhaps I’m reading too much into the choice of words, or perhaps he really has trained under Mann’s wing, but if so, he has not yet emerged completely from the shadow of the master.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Oh boy.. here we go again.
The studio is SERIOUSLY mis-marketing this movie. “Subversive” “scary in that it goes farther than we’ve gone before.”??
The trailers certainly don’t portray that kind of movie. They’re selling it as the type of movie people WANT to see in the middle of summer: a funny Will Smith with superpowers.
I think this thing is gonna tank now.
Vic
May 8th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Will Smith is da man! Nuff said.
June 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am
well i’ve been a fan of Will Smith my whole life..whether his movies were great or atrocious i still like him for who he is, that lovable, humorous person that everyone loves to watch or be around. He is a smart person, and doesn’t choose horrible scripts most of the time. I can’t imagine this movie not doing well…it will be a summer blockbuster whether its R or PG-13. My family and i agreed that no matter what its rated we’ll still see it…come on can anybody actually see Will Smith doing some crazy out of the ordinary sexed up flick with a bunch of crude themes??? seriously people he wouldn’t do that, he knows better to. And ddid anyone see Transformers (lol)?? that movie got an R-rating too! It got bumped down though and i didn’t see one thing in that movie that should of made it bump the PG-13 to R borderline. so i think this movie will do well at the box-office and if u would rather see the Incredible Hulk (i can totally understand the Dark Knight and Iron Man) then there’s something messed up cuz the only reason i could see ppl seeing that disaster-to-be would be if this movie was R!