Where Was the 1997 movie Men in Black Filmed?
The 1997 science fiction action comedy film “Men in Black,” directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, is loosely based on the comic book series “The Men in Black” by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers. It centers on two operatives who work for a highly secretive organization called the Men in Black, or MIB. The story follows Agent K, one of the best MIB agents, as he selects James Edward from the NYPD, who will later become Agent J, to join the covert organization.
Agent J and Agent K must cooperate in order to contain the alien invasion that is threatening to destroy the planet. The major goal of J and K is to find the principal terrorist responsible for the evil plan before the aliens complete their purpose. You will be amused and intrigued by the ‘Men in Black’ filming locations as you watch the agents battle various alien species against the backdrop of a large city and the futuristic MIB headquarters. Allow us to inform you of all the pertinent information if you want to quell your curiosity about the matter.
Locations for Men in Black Filming
New York, California, and New Jersey—more specifically, New York City, Greater Los Angeles, and Jersey City—were the locations used to film “Men in Black.” The Will Smith-starring film’s principal photography began in March 1996 and ended in July of the same year. The production team was able to keep the science fiction movie fairly authentic by shooting the majority of the sequences on location in New York, where the tale is set. Without further ado, allow us to take you to the specific places that are mentioned in the movie!
The most populated city in the United States, New York City, served as the location for the majority of “Men in Black.” The MIB’s main office was the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Ventilation Shaft near Battery Park in Manhattan. The watch and jewelry store A Question of Time, which was located at 54 Macdougal Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village at the time, was converted for the film to become the Rosenberg Jewelry Store. In addition, the production team used the Veterans Corps 69th Regiment Armory at 68 Lexington Avenue between East 25th and 26th Streets for exterior shots of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where the agents first encounter pathologist Laurel.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, located at 1071 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, was used as the backdrop for the scene in which Agent J pursues an alien. In the moment where Agent K and J sit on a bench and discuss the significance of the agency, Castle Clinton in Battery, Manhattan can be seen in the background. The R&L Restaurant at 69 Gansevoort Street, which is now permanently closed, was used to film the restaurant scene when Rosenberg is assassinated. The pawnbroker office at 90 Orchard Street, operated by Jeebs, a guy with the capacity to regenerate his own skull, doubled as Scotch and Soda. In and around Grand Central Terminal at 89 East 42nd Street, another chase scene was filmed.
The cast and crew of “Men in Black” also filmed several scenes at 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, in addition to a few crucial scenes in the Empire Diner at 210 10th Avenue.
The final act was filmed at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in northern Queens, which also contains the Unisphere. At 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Shea Stadium and Citi Field were used to film the baseball scene. In addition, other scenes for the science fiction movie were captured in the Queens Theatre at 14 United Nations Avenue South and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.
California’s Greater Los Angeles
The “Men in Black” production crew set up shop in Greater Los Angeles, the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, for filming. The scene in which the flying saucer crashes at the beginning of the film was filmed at Big Sky Movie Ranch, located in Simi Valley at 4927 Bennett Road.
The filmmaking crew even made use of the Sony Pictures Studios’ resources, particularly stages 12 and 15. It’s probable that this studio replicated elements of the final alien war sequence that involved the Unisphere’s destruction in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The studio facility, which can be found at 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, has 18 stages of various sizes, including two audience-rated TV stages with support space. The City of Angels, Los Angeles, served as the backdrop for a couple sequences as well.
The city of Jersey City
The second-most populated city in New Jersey, Jersey City, also contributed to the recording of further segments of “Men in Black.” It was filmed in Liberty State Park where the wide-eyed squid is born with the ability to throw Agent J around. It is a park that is located in Jersey City at 200 Morris Pesin Drive.