Hancock
Short description
John Hancock is a man with extraordinary powers living in Los Angeles, where his rescues leave a trail of wrecked roads and ruined property. The public has grown tired of him, and he has made few friends with his drinking and his temper. After he saves Ray Embrey, a public relations specialist, Ray offers to repair his reputation, and Hancock reluctantly agrees. Ray's plan turns the city against the absent hero so that people will miss him, and it works. Hancock's new image brings complications, particularly involving Ray's wife, Mary, and forces him to reconsider what kind of person he wants to be.
Peter Berg directed the film, the fifth of thirteen he has directed in chronological order, following The Kingdom and preceding Battleship. Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan wrote the screenplay, and Michael Mann, Will Smith and Akiva Goldsman produced. Will Smith plays Hancock, with Charlize Theron as Mary, Jason Bateman as Ray, Jae Head as Aaron, Eddie Marsan as Red and David Mattey as Man Mountain. The film carries 72 credited cast members and 169 credited crew members.
Made for 150 million dollars, Hancock took in about 629 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from 537,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.4 out of 10 from 10,495 votes. A film critics' rating of 5.7 out of 10 from 224 reviews places it slightly below those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film was shown at a US military base in the Middle East a week before its US premiere – the screening was free for all American service members stationed there.
- The film's script went from one studio to another for ten years, but no one dared to bring it to life. During this time, many famous actors were considered for the lead role, including George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
- After "Warner Bros." abandoned the project, "Sony" took it over.
- Dave Chappelle was considered for the lead role.
- Copies of the film were delivered to some cinemas under the titles 'Hidden from Earth' or 'Speak Publicly'.
- The film was originally going to be called 'He's Coming Tonight'. It was then renamed 'John Hancock,' and later shortened to 'Hancock'.
- Will Smith wanted Aishwarya Rai to play Mary, but she had to decline the role due to commitments to other projects.
- Michael Mann and Tony Scott were also considered for the director's position.
- The film contains 525 shots with special effects.
- The film initially received an 'R' rating due to Smith's character drinking alcohol in front of a minor and flying while intoxicated.
- Peter Berg, the film's director, played one of the doctors fighting for Mary's life.
- In the scene where Ray first explains his vision for the PR campaign, the members of the board of directors were played by various Hollywood producers, including Akiva Goldsman and Michael Mann.
- The main character's name came about as a result of a mistake. In the original story, Will Smith's character explains that when he woke up in the hospital, a nurse told him to put "John Hancock" on one of the papers. John Hancock was an American statesman who became famous for his particularly large signature on the Declaration of Independence. Subsequently, his name became a household name and meant "to sign" or "to initial." The Russian official translation provided a completely different reason for the origin of these initials.
- Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman played husband and wife in the third season of the series "Arrested Development" (2003).
- Vincent Ngo wrote the screenplay for the film in 1996. Almost ten years later, Vince Gilligan rewrote the screenplay, Jonathan Mostow was supposed to direct the film, and the premiere was to take place in 2007.
- When Jonathan Mostow left the project in May 2006, Gabriele Muccino was appointed director, who was then editing "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006), in which Will Smith also starred. "Hancock" was to be their next joint project, however Smith decided to make "I Am Legend" (2007) first. In October 2006, Gabriele left the project due to creative differences.
- In one scene, Mary is wearing a "Macalester College" college t-shirt. Peter Berg graduated from that college.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
