Men in Black (abbreviated as MIB) is a 1997 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Ed Solomon, based on the Marvel Comics series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith respectively star as Agent K and Agent J, who investigate a series of seemingly unrelated criminal incidents related to the extraterrestrials who live in secret on Earth. Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio and Rip Torn appear in supporting roles. Development for the film began in 1992, after producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald optioned the rights to the comic book series.