Hancock is a 2008 American superhero film directed by Peter Berg based on a screenplay by Vince Gilligan and Vy Vincent Ngo.

While Hancock received mixed reviews from critics,[3] who found it promising, but let down by the mid-movie change in tone,[4] it grossed $629.4 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2008.

Hancock rescues Ray Embrey, a community-minded but struggling public relations specialist, from an oncoming train, needlessly derailing it in the process.

Hancock has dinner with Ray and Mary, and reveals that he is an amnesiac and immortal, having woken up in a hospital 80 years ago with no memory of his identity.

Parker escapes prison with several criminals (his men from the bank robbery and the two inmates who previously confronted Hancock) and attacks the hospital to get revenge.

In a mid-credits scene, Hancock confronts a criminal holding a woman at gunpoint and demanding that he help him escape from the police.

Hancock shows restraint when dealing with the criminal but does smile when the gunman insults him indicating that the felon is about to have a bad day.

[13] Daeg Faerch appears as Michele, the young French American neighborhood bully who is thrown by Hancock in the air for repeatedly insulting him.

[14] Producer Akiva Goldsman came across the script, which he had considered a favorite,[15] and encouraged Richard Saperstein, then president of development and production at Artisan Entertainment, to acquire it in 2002.

Neither Mostow nor Smith was yet committed to make the project an active priority at the time, and Dave Chappelle was at one point considered for the lead role.

In October 2006, Peter Berg was attached to direct Tonight, He Comes with production slated to begin in May 2007 in Los Angeles, the story's setting.

[23] The new director compared the original script's tone to Leaving Las Vegas (1995), calling it "a scathing character study of this suicidal alcoholic superhero".

[27] Smith's character is also an alcoholic, so for scenes in liquor stores, the art department designed fake labels such as Pap Smear Vodka for the bottles because "brown-bag brands" like Thunderbird and Night Train refused to lend their names.

An unexpected shot was a scene in which Hancock shoves a prisoner's head up another's anus, and filmmakers initially attempted to film it conventionally, using sleight of hand techniques with cameras.

[29] The film score was composed by John Powell and was performed by the 110-piece orchestra from the Hollywood Studio Symphony under the supervision of conductors Blake Neely, Don Harper and Pete Anthony.

[30] The New York Times noted that Hancock's original story and controversial subject matter present a stark contrast to "a summerful of sequels and animated sure shots" and represent a gamble for "an increasingly corporate entertainment industry".

[38] At the conclusion of the five-day weekend, Hancock took top placement at the box office in the United States and Canada, grossing an estimated $107.3 million.

[43] In the following weekend of July 11–13, 2008, Hancock fell to second place in the United States and Canada behind Hellboy II: The Golden Army, grossing an estimated $33 million, a "modest" 47% drop in revenue.

According to Sony executives, distributing Hancock was an opportunity to showcase BRAVIA, though the method has been perceived as an "obvious threat" to cable companies' video on demand.

[52] Christopher Monfette of IGN thought that the Blu-ray Disc was a "beautiful" transfer, the audio was well-balanced, and the featurettes were well-supplied.

"[4] Some critics reported that the film was a jumble of ideas that, despite starting well, did not fully deliver the edgy satire the subject matter promised, with a general consensus forming that it suffered from a weak story and poor execution.

[56] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter said that the opening established the premise well, but that the film came undone when it began to alternate between comedy and tragedy, and introduced a backstory for Hancock that didn't make sense.

[57] Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post claimed it had begun with promise, but that the change in tone partway through was so abrupt that the film did not recover.

[58] Jim Schembri of The Age called the change in direction "an absolute killer story twist",[59] and David Denby of The New Yorker said it lifted the film to a new level by supplementing the jokes with sexual tension and emotional power.

[57] Stephen Hunter claimed that Berg had not understood that the shifting tone and plot twists were meant to be humorous, and that he had played straight what was supposed to be a dark comedy and subversive satire.

[61] Todd McCarthy said that Smith's "attitude-laden quips" helped to carry the film's superior first half, and that all three leads performed capably, but he said no opportunity was offered for the supporting characters to register.

[56] Roger Ebert writing in the Chicago Sun Times praised the three leads, saying that Smith avoided playing Hancock "as a goofball" and instead portrayed him as a more subtle and serious character.

[62] Stephen Farber said that Hancock was a good showcase for the leads, affirming that Smith shone in a film that was only sporadically worthy of his performance.

[59] Stephen Farber believed that the extended development of the film had reduced its quality, but that the visual effects were "stellar" and showed wit.

"[68] In August 2009, Columbia Pictures hired screenwriters Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara to write the sequel, and the studio planned to bring back the producing team from the original film.