Men in Black is a 1997 action sci-fi movie directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Loosely based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers. It revolves around two agents working in a highly classified organization called Men in Black or MIB. Agent K, one of MIB’s top agents, chooses NYPD’s James Edward (later Agent J) as a new addition to the secret agency. When aliens invade the planet, the two agents must work together to keep the aliens under control as they threaten to destroy the world.
J and K’s main goal is to track down the master terrorist behind the evil plan before the aliens succeed in their mission. A sprawling city and a futuristic MIB headquarters set against the backdrop of several action-packed sequences where agents fight against different types of aliens will not only entertain you but also make you curious about the filming locations of ‘Men in Black.
Where Was Men in Black Movie Filmed?
The Man in Black was filmed in New York, California, and New Jersey, namely New York, Los Angeles, and Jersey City. Filming of Will Smith’s lead role began in March 1996 and ended in July of the same year.
By shooting most of the scenes on location in New York, where the story takes place, the production team managed to keep the sci-fi film quite authentic.
New York
Most of “Men in Black” was filmed in New York, the most populous city in the United States. A ventilation shaft from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in Manhattan’s Battery Park represented MIB headquarters. The building at 54 Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan (a watch and jewelry store called A Question of Time) was converted into the Rosenberg Jewelry Store for the movie.
Additionally, for the exterior shots of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where the agents meet with pathologist Laurel, the production unit used the 69th Veterans’ Armory at 68 Lexington Avenue between East 25th and 26th Streets.
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A scene involving Agent J chasing an alien was recorded in and around the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 1071 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Additionally, Castle Clinton in Manhattan’s Battery can be seen in the background of a scene where Agents K and J are sitting on a bench talking about the importance of the agency.
The restaurant scene where Rosenberg is killed was filmed at the R&L Restaurant at 69 Gansevoort Street, which is now permanently closed. Scotch and Soda at 90 Orchard Street doubled as a pawnshop run by Jeebs, a man who can regenerate his own head.
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Another chase scene was filmed around Grand Central Terminal at 89 East 42nd Street, while some shooting took place at the intersection of Orchard and Broome streets.
In addition to filming several key scenes at the Empire Diner at 210 10th Avenue, the cast and crew of ‘Men in Black’ also filmed several sequences on 3rd Avenue between East 23rd Street and 24th Street, 333 Park Avenue South, Wall Street, Franklin Place and Franklin Street in Tribeca, MacDougal Street and Prince Street, and 94 and 92 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side.
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Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in northern Queens is where the final act was filmed, including the Unisphere. The baseball scene was filmed at Shea Stadium and Citi Field at 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. In addition, other parts of the sci-fi film were recorded in the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and the Queens Theater at 14 United Nations Avenue South.
New Jersey
Other parts of “Men in Black” were recorded in Jersey City, the second most populous city in New Jersey. The scene where the wide-eyed octopus with the ability to throw Agent J is born was filmed at Liberty State Park, located at 200 Morris Pesin Drive in Jersey City.
California
For filming purposes, the ‘Men in Black’ production unit set up camp in Greater Los Angeles, the second largest metropolitan area in the United States. The scene where the saucer crashed in the film’s opening scene was filmed at the Big Sky Movie Ranch at 4927 Bennett Road in Simi Valley.
The film unit even used Sony Pictures Studios facilities, specifically stages 12 and 15. Some parts of the final alien fight scene involving the destruction of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park may have been recreated at this studio.
Located at 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, the studio consists of 18 stages of various sizes, including two audience-rated television stages with support space. Several scenes were also shot in Los Angeles, the City of Angels.
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