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 which was a critical and commercial success. In 2004, he wrote and directed "The Alamo", which was a box office bomb. Five years later, his film "The Blind Side" was a box office success and received an Academy Award for Best Picture nomination. In 2013 Hancock directed "Saving Mr. Banks", a film about the life of P.L. Travers and her difficult negotiations with Walt Disney over adapting her famous novel "Mary Poppins" into a feature film. He also directed "The Founder" (2016), about the McDonald's fast food chain, and co-wrote the upcoming musical film "The Goree Girls". John Lee Hancock