The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 American science fiction film and an adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name (which itself was based on the 1940 short story "Farewell to the Master"). Directed by Scott Derrickson from a screenplay by David Scarpa, it stars Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, an alien sent to try to change human behavior in an effort to save Earth from environmental degradation; this version replaces the Cold War-era theme of nuclear warfare with the contemporary issue of negative human impact on the environment. The film co-stars Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Bates. The Day the Earth Stood Still was originally scheduled for release on May 9, 2008, but was released on a roll-out schedule beginning December 12, 2008, screening in both conventional and IMAX theaters. The film was met with negative reviews from critics and went on to gross over $233 million worldwide. Plot In 1928, a solitary mountaineer exploring the Karakoram mountains in India encounters a glowing sphere. He loses consciousness and when he wakes, the sphere is gone and there is a scar on his hand where a sample of his DNA has been taken.