Men in Black 3 (stylized as MIB and alternately spelled Men in Black III) is a 2012 American 3D science fiction comedy film starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. The film was released on May 25, 2012, ten years after its predecessor Men in Black II and fifteen years after the release of the original Men in Black. It also stars Jemaine Clement and Emma Thompson with Barry Sonnenfeld returning as director, and Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer. The film is the third installment in the Men in Black film series based on Lowell Cunningham's The Men in Black comic book series, originally published by Aircel Comics and later by Malibu Comics and Marvel Comics. Principal photography began in New York City on November 16, 2010. The intergalactic criminal Boris the Animal escapes from the LunarMax prison on Earth's moon, intent on going back in time and killing Agent K, who on July 16, 1969, had shot off one of his arms and captured him. After investigating a spaceship crash in New York City, and following a skirmish in a Chinese restaurant, K learns Boris has escaped, and K regrets not having killed him.