Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American comedy science fiction film written and directed by Tim Burton. Based on the cult trading card series of the same name, the film stars Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, and Danny DeVito, with Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Lukas Haas, Natalie Portman, Jim Brown, Lisa Marie Smith, and Sylvia Sidney in supporting roles. The film is a spoof of science fiction B movies, with elements of black humour and political satire thrown in for good measure. Filming took place in California, Nevada, Kansas, Arizona,