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MEN IN BLACK’s Barry Sonnenfeld To Return To Sci-Fi Comedy With THE HOW-TO GUIDE TO SAVING THE WORLD!!

Published at:  Dec 17, 2008 10:05:31 PM CST

I am – Hercules!!


Barry Sonnenfeld, director of the “Men In Black” movies, will make a return to extraterrestrial comedy with “The How-To Guide for Saving the World,” about an unlikely hero who finds himself trying to employ the titular manual.

The script is by BenDavid Grabinski, who tells AICN exclusively he has heard of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and downplays any similarities: "It's more like a romantic comedy that gets derailed by car chases, explosions, and an impending alien invasion. Tonally, it's a whole different animal."

Sonnenfeld’s last big-screen directorial effort was 2006’s Robin Williams vehicle “RV,” written by Geoff Rodkey (“Daddy Day Care,” “Daddy Day Camp,” “The Shaggy Dog”).

Sonnenfeld’s other diectorial credits include the two “Addams Family” movies, “Get Shorty,” “Wild Wild West” and “Big Trouble.”

Find all of Variety’s story on the matter here.




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    Readers Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 8:53:31 PM CST

    Men in Black wasn't bad

    by eggart

    But they fucked up the sequel.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 8:55:25 PM CST

    Jack Black

    by evil lincoln

    I hate to sound like a doofus but this sounds like the perfect role for Jack Black.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 8:57:11 PM CST

    How to Survive a Robot Uprising

    by terry1978

    Mike Myers was supposed to be doing the live action version of that book, which I still want to see...just to see robots running around and people freaking out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 9:11:41 PM CST

    You completely, utterly lost me at "RV"

    by yotzvonfrelnik

    And the Hitchhiker's thing did cross my mind the moment I read the headline.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 9:16:49 PM CST

    We need a remake if MIB, docu-style with shakey cam.

    by mike_d

  • Dec 17, 2008 9:20:01 PM CST

    Sounds interesting

    by georgieboy

    Please keep Will Smith out of it though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 9:20:57 PM CST

    Aint It Cool No News

    by somashine

  • Dec 17, 2008 9:24:55 PM CST

    Barry Sonnenfeld's films is America personified

    by citizin_insane

    all his films should be sent to outta space to give ailens a heads-up of the worlds super-power

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:10:43 PM CST

    Sonnenfeld WAS awesome.

    by maxthesilent

    He had a confidence in his early films that completely evaporated with the failure of THE WILD WILD WEST.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:10:46 PM CST

    Sonnenfeld WAS awesome.

    by maxthesilent

    He had a confidence in his early films that completely evaporated with the failure of THE WILD WILD WEST.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:10:49 PM CST

    Sonnenfeld WAS awesome.

    by maxthesilent

    He had a confidence in his early films that completely evaporated with the failure of THE WILD WILD WEST.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:10:51 PM CST

    Sonnenfeld WAS awesome.

    by maxthesilent

    He had a confidence in his early films that completely evaporated with the failure of THE WILD WILD WEST.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:12:32 PM CST

    Triple post: Sorry.

    by maxthesilent

    But when your post-MIB highlight is as a poorly-disguised 'guest' on JACKASS, squeezing one of your blackheads, then you really need to take stock of your career.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:23:07 PM CST

    NEVER DO A MOVIE WITH KEVIN KLINE

    by bringingsexyback

    He's the kiss of career death. Phoebe Cates could've been huge. Now she's just a footnote in the anals of moviedom.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:24:10 PM CST

    So Basically

    by crow3711

    Everything he's made besides Get Shorty and MiB has been utterly terrible. I didn't know he was behind Wild Wild West. Ouch. And RV? Doesn't look good. But he did direct the Pie-Lette for Pushing Daisies (unless I'm mistaken), which was amazing.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:43:47 PM CST

    He redeemed himself directing PUSHING DAISIES...

    by jackislost

    Watch "Pie-lette". It's awesome.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:51:45 PM CST

    Maybe

    by thehumanbeingandfish

    Could be good - I really liked "Men in Black".

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:57:03 PM CST

    How about a Space Quest movie?

    by waylayer

    There's a video game movie that probably wouldn't suck (I hope).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 10:59:47 PM CST

    MIB, like most of his other stuff, was crap...

    by hauptman

    but Get Shorty remains one of my favorite movies of the 90's. And Addams Family was better than most want to admit (though by no means great). I think Sonnenfeld can make a good movie out of a good script. He just hasn't chosen to work with one in quite some time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 17, 2008 11:19:49 PM CST

    didn't he shoot miller's crossing?

    by maluquiro

    he gets a lot of points for that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 2:01:12 AM CST

    If you've seen Sonnenfeld on Letterman,he's an egomaniac

    by wayne6000

    If any readers have ever seen
    Barry on one of his numerous appearances on the David Letterman show, he's quite the raconteur and doesn't deny being both a complete hypochondriac and egomaniac.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 4:20:12 AM CST

    Terrible title, unfilmable concept.

    by ricarleite

    I feel sick to my stomack when I realize I can do a better job than any man in Hollywood except Chris Nolan and Charlie Kaufman.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 6:00:14 AM CST

    huh, that's weird

    by the amazing g

    I was thinking today about Men In Black and wondering what the director was gonna do next (since his career has not exactly gone smoothly since then), here's hoping this is a comeback

    Reply to Talkback

  • AKA over-the-top set pieces masquarading as comedy. I think his strongest work is Get Shorty, followed by Men In Black. And what was best in Men, was the byplay between Smith and Jones.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 9:18:41 AM CST

    MiB II Scarred my Mind

    by redfist

    I will never watch his movies again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 9:44:24 AM CST

    Also director of photography for

    by skimn

    Throw Mama From The Train, Raising Arizona, Blood Simple, Big, Misery,...some heavy hitters there.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 9:47:17 AM CST

    He also had a short lived series based on another

    by skimn

    Elmore Leonard property about a wacky judge in Florida with Beau Bridges..oh yea, Maximum Bob.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 10:03:29 AM CST

    BIG TROUBLE...

    by darkman

    One of the most underrated comedies of the decade. Fucking love that movie.

    And this sounds like an interesting premise.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 11:36:13 AM CST

    Sonnenfeld will die a happy man..

    by cifra

    ... despite his big disapointments and mediocre movies, he has three absolutely outstanding movies: Addams Family Values - one of the best dark comedies, imho - , Men in Black - an absolutely perfect thrillride - and specially his masterpiece, Get Shorty, featuring a John Travolta in state of grace that deserved to sweep all awards that year (he only won the Comedy/Musical Golden Globe, though).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 11:39:49 AM CST

    BIG TROUBLE WAS THE SHIT

    by chetedawg

    ben foster rules

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 12:04:51 PM CST

    DIDNT WE EXECUTE HIM AFTER WAHLWAHL WEST?

    by arcadiands

  • Dec 18, 2008 4:06:01 PM CST

    Galaxy Quest

    by thehumanbeingandfish

    As an aside, I just wanted to write that "Galaxy Quest" is the best science-fiction comedy, ever. (Unless "Dr. Strangelove" counts as a science fiction comedy, in which case that would win.) But "Men in Black" was very good too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 18, 2008 10:19:46 PM CST

    Sonnenfeld: Ace DP, mediocre director

    by nasty in the pasty

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