Hancock (film) Hancock" before settling on its final title. Prior to the film's release, marketing consultants attempted to persuade Sony Pictures to again change the title "Hancock" because it was too vague for audiences, suggesting alternatives like "Heroes Never Die", "Unlikely Hero", and "Less Than Hero". Despite the advice, Sony stayed with "Hancock" and anticipated marketing on the popularity of the film's star, Will Smith. "Hancock" had its world premiere as the opener at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival on June 19, 2008. To avoid copyright infringement, organizers took "unprecedented" steps to prevent illegal reproduction of the film. For the film,
John Lee Hancock John Lee Hancock John Lee Hancock, Jr. (born December 15, 1956) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for directing the sports drama films "The Rookie" (2002) and "The Blind Side" (2009), and the historical drama films "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013) and "The Founder" (2016). Hancock's debut as a screenwriter and director came in 1991 with "Hard Time Romance". He worked on two more films as a screenwriter with "A Perfect World" and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" before making his next directing effort in 2002 with the sports drama "The Rookie",