EXCLUSIVE: Interview With MEN IN BLACK 3 Director Barry Sonnenfeld

This Friday sees the return of Agent's J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) to the big screen after a ten year absence from theatres. Barry Sonnenfeld returns to helm Men in Black 3 and if you read our 4* review of the movie (find it HERE) you will already know that he does a fantastic job. Last week, I was able to put my questions to the director and he comments on everything from a fourth instalment in the franchise to deleted scenes, the special effects, casting Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, converting the movie to 3D and much, much more. Many thanks to Adelya Khasyanova for her help in setting up and conducting the following interview.

Men in Black 3 is the end of the trilogy and finishes this part of Men in Black. I think it does that very satisfyingly. However, in success, I think Will Smith already has an idea where we can have a Men in Black 4 that would be very satisfying, but we'll see.

I can't really talk about it, but I think everyone will be very satisfied.

There were very few scenes that didn't make the cut. Most of the stuff we cut out, we cut out at script stage. There are a few little scenes, but nothing that's hugely different.

I had done a lot of testing of every 3D rig and also shot 2D and converted it to 3D. Based on my tests, I felt that the movie would look much better if it was shot in 2D and converted. So, nothing was shot in native 3D, which allowed me to have much more control over depth. It allowed me to use film instead of digital media, and the time jump was so much fun to work on because I got to control it all in post production.

I don't feel that this will give away too much, but the reason we specifically went back to 1969 was because that's when the moon launch occurred and we felt that it was the first time mankind actually stepped onto another planetary body. So, if you're the Men in Black and you're making movies about aliens, it's sort of the first time we became aliens and left the Earth, so there's that. Then 1969 was a great time for music, for culture, for Andy Warhol. And also by going back then, Will gets to experience a little bit of racism for the first time.

It was not an important thing, it wasn't absolutely necessary, but it was I think a part of the culture of the era. I thought we did the right amount of it. We didn't make a big deal out of it, we didn't make it a part of the plot, but we had some fun with it.

You know, I'm talking to Warner Bros. about doing a franchise based on a comic that hasn't been around since the 60s. But it's too early to talk about it. But possibly, yes.

I regret a little bit that Andy Warhol is in the trailer for our movie because we give away the surprise. I always like that what you think you would expect Andy Warhol to be, he isn't. But you know that going into the movie, but it was sort of a double jointed joke.

Very specifically. I don't like using digital technology to create aliens because I like the actors to be able to work with other actors, whether they're aliens or human. However, there are three scenes particularly - the jump off the Chrysler building, all of the moon launch and all of the scene at the baseball stadium - that literally would not have been in the script ten years ago. All three of those sets are 95% digital. Basically, where they're standing is real, but the entire surrounds are all done with tiling and computers. And due to storage and how much faster computers are, and cheaper, those are three scenes that exist only because of digital technology and the excellent work of Ken Ralston and Jay Radd.

The Monocycle was an invention of mine, I just thought about it one night and thought I invented it, and then we went online and discovered they really do exist! And not nearly as technologically as sophisticated a way even though it's '69 technology, but they existed I think as far back as that. Plus, the Men in Black always use alien technology and make it their own, so I think a lot of that from '69 was borrowing some alien technology.

As soon as I read that there would be a younger K, I immediately thought exclusively of Josh. I had seen him in W. and thought he was brilliant at portraying George W. Bush, our former President. I had met him several times at parties because Josh and I are both friends with the Cohen's. And he striked me very much the first time I met him as having many physical similarities, especially in head shape and size, to Tommy. So it was an easy decision and obviously we're thrilled that he did it.

I thought he was brilliant in Flight of the Conchords, but the idea to cast him actually was the producers idea, Walter Parks. He had worked with Jemaine on Dinner With Schmucks. Then I met Jemaine, and between his size and his deep, deep voice and his ability to be odd, I thought he'd be great. One of my favourite moments in the movie, because it's such a hiccup, is when Jemaine, playing Boris the Animal, learns how to laugh for the first time like a human and it's so odd. It was totally Jemaine's idea and it was not in the script.

Well, we rehearsed. What Josh did was constantly listen to Tommy Lee Jones from the first movie. He always had an MP3 player on the set and was always listening to the rhythm. Although he's not imitating Tommy Lee Jones, which is fantastic, he's sort of using his voice and his tone and Tommy's lilt and syntax and rythm but creating a personality that's younger and more optimistic. I know that Alice met with Emma Thompson, and they talked for a while and Emma sort of gave Alice her advice on who O is and then we all rehearsed the various scenes together.

Oh, that's easy. They should see Men in Black 3 because it's Will's first film in four year's and he's fantastic in it. The 3D is the best 3D they'll ever see so far, it's really spectacular. It's fresh, it's original, but it gives you what you remember you love about the movies and the relationships between Will and Tommy and Will and Josh are just great. It has a very emotional and satisfying ending.