Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film was released on July 2, 1997 by Columbia Pictures. It was followed by a 2002 sequel, Men in Black II, inspired an animated series titled Men in Black: The Series, and a second sequel, titled Men in Black 3, Which is released on May 25, 2012.