Hancock (2008)

 Initially titled "Tonight, He Comes", to which in context of the final movie, makes no connective sense , This film center's around John Hancock, the second conceived movie title, before settling to the single name ' Hancock'.

Featuring  Will Smith in the lead role, The movie was slated for a 2007 release, but due to changing of directors, problems with film board advisory warning and conflicted test audiences reactions;  the movie was trimmed and scenes re-shot. To the point of it barely resembles the original 1996 script of Vy Vincent Ngo.

Not much is publicly known of the original version as it was rumored to be gorier with a more sadder ending as Hancock suffered PTSD and had violent outbursts, The film script was initially sought out by director Michael Mann, Tony Scott and couple of other directors, as screenwriter Vince Gilligan took over and re-wrote the screenplay after creative differences with Vy Vincent Ngo had him walk away from the project.  The film had to pass the film advisory board twice to avoid the initial R- rating.  Test audiences did not like the movie and a particular scene of Will Smith.

In Ngo's version, Hancock was sexual frustrated, as he could not have sex with women, on the condition when he orgasmed it would kill them. Test audiences did not find it funny and the concept was one of the reasons for a R-rating.  Peter Berg came on board as director and had that scene re-imagined with Hancock being a hero dealing with alcoholism.  Berg sited the movie Leaving Las Vegas as an influence in which its leading star becomes a suicidal alcoholic,

 
It was in the re-write that critics notice the movie, and made their complaints; as the first two thirds of the film had Will Smith being charming and comedic with our hero causing millions in damages and become callous with consequences. To a tragic figure where the stakes in the movie had very real dramatic pull, the sudden shift in tone caught the ire of many film critics, but audiences still loved the movie as it became the 4th highest grossing movie of the summer of 2008.  Which wasn't much when the final budget of the film was just over a 150 Million.  

As for the initial title, I as a blog writer can only speculate as being a horror reference of the violence Hancock would inflict onto the character of Mary in the original draft, or its a double entendre for the character's short falls. 

The film also ear marked the beginning of the end of physical media, as it posed as a litmus test in consumers viewing habits.  Sony who is a divisional  producer of the film,  Offered an exclusive deal, if you owned a new Bravia television set and had an internet connection you could download the film and watch it at your leisure. One month before the release on DVD and Blue Ray.  This was the film that ushered in the proven success of video-on-demand to be a viable platform. The 2009 CES convention saw technology and distribution shift that way.