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 D. Hancock allegorical horror film "Wolfen" (1981), which was a box office failure but has steadily built a cult reputation over the years. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Hancock directed acclaimed episodes of NBC's "Hill Street Blues" and CBS's "The Twilight Zone" (1985 series), the latter including an adaptation of Theodore Sturgeon's science-fantasy story "A Saucer of Loneliness". He also directed the prison drama "Weeds" (1987), starring Nick Nolte, and the holiday family film "Prancer" (1989), about an eight-year-old girl who discovers an injured reindeer she believes belongs to Santa Claus. In 1998, Hancock opened his production company FilmAcres in LaPorte, Indiana,