View source for Social:Snakes on a Plane

{{short description|2006 American action thriller film directed by David R. Ellis}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Snakes on a Plane
| image          = SOAP poster.jpg
| alt            = Text at the center of the image says "Snakes on a Plane". Behind it is an overhead view of a jet passenger airplane with two snakes coiled around it. Towards the cockpit of the image the snakes' heads face each other with their mouths open and fangs and teeth shown. The background is all black.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = David R. Ellis
| producer       = {{Plain list | 
* Craig Berenson
* Don Granger
* Gary Levinson
}}
| screenplay     = {{Plain list | 
* John Heffernan
* Sebastian Gutierrez
}}
| story          = {{Plain list | 
* David Dalessandro
* John Heffernan
}}
| starring       = {{Plain list | 
* Samuel L. Jackson
* Julianna Margulies
* Nathan Phillips
* Bobby Cannavale
* Rachel Blanchard
}}
| music          = Trevor Rabin
| cinematography = Adam Greenberg
| editing        = Howard E. Smith
| studio         = Mutual Film Company
| distributor    = New Line Cinema
| runtime        = 106 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $33 million<ref name="GrossTotal" />
| gross          = $62 million<ref name="GrossTotal" />
}}
'''''Snakes on a Plane''''' is a 2006 American action thriller film<ref>{{cite web|author=Synopsis by Mark Deming |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/snakes-on-a-plane-v313497 |title=Snakes on a Plane (2006) - David R. Ellis &#124; Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |publisher=AllMovie |date=2006-08-18 |accessdate=2018-04-27}}</ref> directed by David R. Ellis and starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was released by New Line Cinema on August 18, 2006, in North America. The film was written by David Dalessandro, John Heffernan, and Sebastian Gutierrez and follows the events of hundreds of snakes being released on a passenger plane in an attempt to kill a trial witness.

The film gained a considerable amount of attention before its release, forming large fanbases online and becoming an Internet phenomenon, due to the film's title, casting, and premise. In response to the Internet fan base, New Line Cinema incorporated feedback from online users into its production, and added five days of reshooting. Before and after the film was released, it was parodied and alluded to on television shows and films, fan-made videos, video games, and various forms of literature.

Released in the United States and {{wipe|United Kingdom}} on August 18, 2006, the film received mixed to positive reviews.

Despite the immense [[Social:Media circus|Internet buzz]], the film's gross revenue did not live up to expectations, earning {{wipe|United States dollar}}15.25 million in its opening weekend.<ref name="NYT-letdown">{{cite news|last=Waxman|first=Sharon|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/movies/21box.html |title=After Hype Online, "Snakes on a Plane" Is Letdown at Box Office|newspaper={{wipe|The New York Times}}|date=August 21, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref><ref name="EW-nobite">{{cite magazine|last=Rich|first=Joshua|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1229136,00.html|title=Oh Sssssnap! (''Snakes'' doesn't have much bite)|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 20, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822061859/http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1229136_1_0_,00.html|archivedate=August 22, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> The film grossed US$62 million worldwide before its release on home video on January 2, 2007.

==Plot==
After witnessing a brutal murder instigated by California-based gang boss Eddie Kim on U.S. Prosecutor Daniel Hayes in Hawaii, Sean Jones is escorted by FBI agents Neville Flynn and John Sanders on a [[Engineering:Boeing 747-400|Boeing 747-400]] to testify in a trial against Kim in Los Angeles. Despite increased security for the flight, Kim arranges for a time-release crate full of venomous snakes to be placed in the cargo hold in an attempt to bring down the plane before it reaches Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). To ensure the snakes attack the passengers without the need for provocation, he has one of his henchmen disguised as an airport ground employee spray the passengers' leis with a special [[Biology:Pheromone|pheromone]] which makes the snakes highly aggressive. The crate opens midway through the flight and the snakes make their way through the cabin. A couple having sex in a bathroom, and a man using another bathroom are the first killed. The plane's captain, Sam McKeon, investigates and fixes an electrical short, but is killed by the [[Biology:Viperidae|viper]] that caused it. Co-pilot Rick, unaware of the snake, believes Sam has suffered a heart attack and continues toward LAX.

Some of the snakes attack Rick, and while fending them off he accidentally releases the oxygen masks throughout the plane, causing several snakes to drop into the cabin with them. Numerous passengers, including Agent Sanders, are killed when the snakes invade the cabin. The surviving passengers, who have made their way to the front of the plane, put up blockades of luggage in a desperate attempt to stop the snakes. Rick is attacked and the plane starts to dip downwards, causing a food trolley to crash through the luggage blockade. The passengers flee to the upstairs first class cabin before blocking the stairwell with an inflatable liferaft. Flynn and flight attendant Claire regain control of the plane while Rick retakes the controls and has Flynn go into the cargo hold to restore the air conditioning/ventilation system. Flynn contacts FBI Special Agent Hank Harris on the ground, who gets in touch with ophiologist Dr. Steven Price, Customs' main source for animal smuggling cases. Based on pictures of the reptiles emailed to him via a passenger's mobile phone, Price believes a Los Angeles snake dealer known for illegally importing exotic and highly dangerous snakes to be responsible. After a shootout, a tactical interrogation occurs wherein the dealer is injured by a snakebite. With Harris withholding the antivenom, the dealer finally reveals that Kim hired him to obtain the snakes and adds how the latter managed to smuggle them on board the plane and make them aggressive. Price injects the injured dealer with the antivenom and commandeers his supply of antivenom for the victims on the plane based on the list given to him, while Harris gives orders to have Eddie Kim arrested and [[Social:Capital punishment|tried for death]] on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.

Harris contacts Flynn, telling him that antivenom will be ready for the passengers when they land. However, Flynn discovers that the cockpit is filled with snakes and Rick is dead. After a brief discussion, Troy, Three Gs' bodyguard, agrees to land the plane based on experience playing a flight simulator. After everyone gets prepared, Flynn shoots out two windows with his pistol, causing the plane to [[Engineering:Uncontrolled decompression|depressurize]]. The snakes are blown out of the cockpit and the lower floor of the plane. Despite his lack of real-world experience, Troy makes an emergency landing and the plane makes it to the terminal. The passengers leave the plane and antivenom is given to those who need it. Just as Flynn and Sean are about to disembark the plane, a remaining snake jumps out and bites Sean in the chest. Flynn draws his gun and shoots the snake, and paramedics rush to Sean, who is unharmed due to a ballistic vest he wore throughout the ordeal after his rescue from Kim's henchmen. As a token of gratitude, Sean later takes Flynn to [[Place:Bali|Bali]] and teaches him how to surf.

==Cast==
<!-- Below are listed in the order of the opening credits. -->
{{Cast listing|
* Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Neville Flynn, an FBI agent assigned to protect Sean Jones on his flight to {{wipe|Los Angeles}}.
* Julianna Margulies as Claire Miller, a flight attendant.
* Nathan Phillips as Sean Jones, a surfer and dirtbike racer who witnesses a brutal murder committed by Eddie Kim.
* Bobby Cannavale as Special Agent Henry "Hank" Harris, Flynn's contact in Los Angeles.
* Flex Alexander as Clarence "Three Gs", a germophobic famous rapper.
* Todd Louiso as Dr. Steven Price, a snake venom expert assigned by the FBI to communicate with Flynn.
* Sunny Mabrey as Tiffany, a flight attendant who develops a crush on Sean.
* Kenan Thompson as Troy, Clarence's bodyguard.
* Rachel Blanchard as Mercedes Harbont, a [[Social:Socialite|socialite]] passenger who brings her pet Chihuahua Mary-Kate aboard.
* Lin Shaye as Grace, the senior flight attendant who acts as the flight's purser.
* David Koechner as Richard "Rick", Captain McKeon's co-pilot.
* Elsa Pataky as Maria, a Hispanic passenger who travels with her infant daughter Isabella.
<!-- Below are not in the opening credits. -->
* Keith Dallas as Big Leroy, Clarence's bodyguard.
* Mark Houghton as Agent John Sanders, Flynn's colleague assigned to protect Sean Jones.
* Tom Butler as Captain Samuel "Sam" McKeon, the captain of the plane.
* Byron Lawson as Eddie Kim, a crime syndicate leader.
* Taylor Kitsch as Kyle, a young man who boards the plane with his girlfriend. 
* Samantha McLeod as Kelly, a young woman who boards the plane with her boyfriend.
* Kevin McNulty as Emmett Bradley, an air traffic tower controller.
}}

==Production==
The story is credited to David Dalessandro, a University of Pittsburgh administrator and first-time Hollywood writer. He developed the concept in 1992 after reading a nature magazine article about Indonesian [[Biology:Brown tree snake|brown tree snake]]s climbing onto planes in cargo during World War II. He originally wrote the screenplay about the brown tree snake loose on a plane, titling the film ''Venom''.<ref name="EWKickAsp" /> He soon revised it, expanding upon the premise to include a plague of assorted venomous snakes, then—crediting the film ''Aliens''—revised it once again to include "lots of them loose in the [[Engineering:Fuselage|fuselage]] of a plane."<ref name="PostScares">{{cite news|last=Hayes|first=John|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06228/713732-254.stm |title='Snakes on a Plane' scares up a following based on Hollywood's frightful track record|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=August 16, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080205090848/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06228/713732-254.stm |archivedate = February 5, 2008}}</ref> Dalessandro's third draft of ''Venom'' was turned down by more than 30 Hollywood studios in 1995. In 1999, a producer for MTV/Paramount showed interest in the script, followed up by New Line Studios, which took over the rights for production.

Originally, the film, under the working title "Snakes on a Plane", was going to be directed by [[Place:Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] action director Ronny Yu.<ref name="EWKickAsp" /> Jackson, who had previously worked with Yu on ''The 51st State'', learned about the announced project in the Hollywood trade newspapers and, after talking to Yu, agreed to sign on without reading the script based on the director, storyline, and the title.<ref name="TimeSOAPTitle">{{cite magazine|last=Tyrangiel|first=Josh|title=Snakes on Samuel L. Jackson|magazine={{wipe|Time (magazine)}}|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1186739,00.html|date=April 24, 2006|accessdate=May 10, 2009}}</ref> Initially New Line did not believe that Jackson had actually signed on to the project and had to call his agent to clarify.<ref name="cinemablendplane">{{cite web|last1=Topel|first1=Fred|title=Interview: Samuel L. Jackson|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Interview-Samuel-L-Jackson-3189.html|website=Cinemablend|accessdate=23 August 2016|date=2006-08-16}}</ref>  Jackson would later defend his choice of starring in the movie by stating
"it  was the kind of movie I would have gone to see when I was a kid"<ref name="cinemablendplane"/> further clarifying "I feel sorry for all those people that are going through that whole trip of ‘Why would Samuel Jackson do something like this?’ and ‘It’s lowbrow.’ It's a movie. People go to movies on Saturday to get away from the war in Iraq and taxes and election news and pedophiles online and just go and have some fun and I like doing movies that are fun.” <ref name="cinemablendplane"/>

The film's [[Engineering:B movie|B movie-esque]] title generated a lot of pre-release interest on the Internet. One journalist wrote that ''Snakes on a Plane'' is "perhaps the most internet-hyped film of all time".<ref name="FlyingBlind">{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Mark|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1852937,00.html|title=Snakes on a Plane leaves critics flying blind|newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}}|date=August 18, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009 | location=London}}</ref> Much of the initial publicity came from a blog entry made by screenwriter Josh Friedman, who had been offered a chance to work on the script.<ref name="friedman">{{cite web|url=http://hucksblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/snakes-on-motherfucking-plane.html|title=I find your lack of faith disturbing: Snakes on a Motherfucking Plane|first=Josh|last=Friedman|date=August 17, 2005|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> The casting of Samuel L. Jackson further increased anticipation. At one point, the film was given the title ''Pacific Air Flight 121'', only to have it changed back to the working title at Samuel Jackson's request.<ref name="SaysItAll">{{cite news|last=Wloszczyna|first=Susan|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-04-17-snakes_x.htm|title='Snakes on a Plane' sssssssays it all|date=April 18, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009 | work=USA Today}}</ref> In August 2005, Samuel Jackson told an interviewer, "We're totally changing that back. That's the only reason I took the job: I read the title."<ref name="ChangingCultIMDB">{{cite news|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417148/news?year=2006|title='Snakes on a Plane': The Cult|publisher=Internet Movie Database|date=April 12, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> On March 2, 2006, the studio reverted the title to ''Snakes on a Plane''.<ref name="MTVRedBlack"/> New Line hired two additional writers to smooth out the screenplay.<ref name="PostScares"/>

Taking advantage of the Internet buzz for what had been a minor film in their 2006 line-up, New Line Cinema ordered five days of additional shooting in early March 2006 ([[Engineering:Principal photography|principal photography]] had wrapped in September 2005).<ref name="FanFrenzy">{{cite news|last=Borys |first=Kit |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002234847 |title=Fan frenzy for 'Snakes' is on a different plane |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 24, 2006 |accessdate=May 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831173213/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002234847 |archivedate=August 31, 2006 }}</ref> While re-shoots normally imply problems with a film, the producers opted to add new scenes to the film to change the MPAA rating from PG-13 to R and bring it in line with growing fan expectations. The most notable addition was a revision of a catchphrase from the film that was parodied on the Internet by fans of the film, capitalizing on Samuel L. Jackson's typically foul-mouthed and violent film persona: "Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!".<ref name="EWKickAsp">{{cite magazine|last=Jensen |first=Jeff |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1219727_1_0_,00.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719233726/http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0%2C6115%2C1219727_1_0_%2C00.html |archivedate=July 19, 2008 |title=Kicking Asp |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=August 4, 2006 |accessdate=July 3, 2014 }}</ref> Subsequently, the public responded favorably to this creative change and marketing strategy, leading some members of the press to speculate that "the movie has grown from something of a joke into a phenomenon".<ref name="EWKickAsp"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Honeycutt|first=Kirk|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003019676|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212160345/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003019676|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2007|title=Snakes on a Plane|work=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=September 21, 2008|date=August 21, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Loder|first=Kurt|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1538874/08182006/story.jhtml|title=Snakes on a Plane: Wild Fang|publisher=MTV Movies|accessdate=September 21, 2008|date=August 18, 2006 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080505073424/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1538874/08182006/story.jhtml |archivedate = May 5, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pearlman|first=Cindy|url=http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200608/1155699900.html|title=Kicking Asp: Jackson is fed up with snakes|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|date=August 13, 2006|accessdate=September 21, 2008}}</ref>

More than 450 snakes were used for filming to represent thirty different species of snakes.<ref name="IGN3">{{cite web|last=Carle|first=Chris|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/720/720471p1.html|date=2006-07-22|title=Comic-Con 2006: Snakes on a Plane Panel| accessdate=September 21, 2008}}</ref> The different species include a {{convert|19|ft|m|adj=on}} Burmese python named Kitty (which the crew called Kong for film purposes), [[Biology:Scarlet kingsnake|scarlet kingsnake]] (the non-venomous double for the [[Biology:Coral snake|coral snake]]), [[Biology:Milk snake|milk snake]], corn snakes, rattlesnakes, and [[Biology:Boiga|mangrove snakes]]. The scarlet kingsnake and milk snake stood in for coral snakes, while a [[Biology:Florida kingsnake|Florida kingsnake]] filled the role of the venomous Australian [[Biology:Taipan|taipan]] (which attacks the couple having sex).<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite magazine|last=Lovgren|first=Stefan|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060724-snakes-plane.html|title="Snakes on a Plane": Behind the Scenes With the Movie's Snake Wrangler|magazine=National Geographic|accessdate=September 21, 2008}}</ref> About two-thirds of the snakes seen throughout the film were either animatronic or [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]].<ref name="autogenerated1" />  The snakes that were real were mostly the non-venomous ones that are never seen attacking anyone. The scenes where someone is clearly bitten were often done with animation.  According to the DVD, all the snakes had production names, but only Scarface (an animated [[Biology:Pit viper|pit viper]]), Peanut (a cobra), and Kong are mentioned by name in the audio commentary. During filming, Samuel Jackson did not come into contact with any live snakes, due to a contract clause preventing snakes from being within {{nowrap|8 m}} (25&nbsp;ft) of the actor.<ref name="EWKickAsp"/> When the film was released in theaters, two live [[Biology:Western diamondback rattlesnake|western diamondback rattlesnake]]s were released at a showing of the film on August 22, 2006, in Phoenix, Arizona. One snake had made its way into the lobby of the theater on its own, and another had been found in the parking lot. Nobody was harmed and the snakes were released back into the desert.<ref name="RattlersFreed">{{cite news|agency=Reuters|url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/entertainment/627860/rattlers_freed_in_snakes_on_a_plane_theater_prank/index.html|accessdate=May 11, 2009|date=August 22, 2006|title=Rattlers freed in 'Snakes on a Plane' theater prank|publisher=Red Orbit|}}</ref>

==Media coverage==
[[File:Samuel L. Jackson.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A man is sitting in a director's chair on a stage with two partially cropped out people sitting in the same type of chair on his left and right. The man is speaking into a microphone he is holding and is wearing tennis shoes, blue jeans, a black T-shirt with the film's poster image on it, sunglasses, and a white hat. In the background is a patterned design with the logo for Comic-Con.|Samuel L. Jackson promoting the film at Comic-Con convention in July 2006]]

===Print===
An illustrated book from Thunder's Mouth Press, ''Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Ssssssensation'' by David Waldon, details the Internet phenomenon and was published July 28, 2006. Waldon details various [[Finance:Viral video|viral video]]s relating to the film's craze, and interviewed their producers to find out what about the film captured their attention.<ref>{{cite book|title=Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Ssssssensation|publisher=Thunder's Mouth|year=2006|last=Waldon|first=David|isbn=1-56025-971-X}}</ref>

===Music===
On March 16, 2006, New Line Cinema announced a contest on TagWorld and a website promoting the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20060822023104%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.tagworld.com%2Fsnakesonaplane%2FMain%2FSnakes-Tagworld_Release.pdf&images=yes|title=TagWorld and New Line Cinema Team for ''Snakes on a Plane'' Soundtrack Contest|format=PDF|date=March 16, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717232948/http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http:%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20060822023104%2Fhttp:%2F%2Fwww.tagworld.com%2Fsnakesonaplane%2FMain%2FSnakes-Tagworld_Release.pdf&images=yes|archivedate=July 17, 2011}}</ref><ref name="snake home">{{cite web|url=http://www.tagworld.com/snakesonaplane |title=TagWorld :: snakesonaplane's - Home|accessdate=May 11, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060325054903/http://www.tagworld.com/snakesonaplane |archivedate = March 25, 2006}}</ref> The contest allowed artists on TagWorld to have their music featured in the film. A flood of ''SoaP''-themed songs were submitted by artists such as Captain Ahab (who ultimately won the contest), Louden Swain, the Former Fat Boys, Nispy, and others. In addition, a music video for the film, "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" by Cobra Starship, was released on July 10, 2006 on MTV2's ''Unleashed''. The music video appeared on the film's soundtrack as well as during the film's closing credits.

In October 2005, Nathanial Perry and Chris Rohan recorded an audio trailer spoof, which helped fuel the Internet buzz. Perry and Rohan recorded the "motherfucking snakes" line in the audio trailer which was added to the film during the week of re-shoots. In July 2006, New Line Cinema signed a worldwide licensing agreement with the Cutting Corporation to produce an [[Engineering:Audiobook|audiobook]] of the film.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.graphicaudio.net/press/20060807press.asp |title=Snakes on a Plane in GraphicAudio|publisher=Graphic Audio|accessdate=May 11, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070517033240/http://www.graphicaudio.net/press/20060807press.asp |archivedate = May 17, 2007}}</ref>

===Television===
On August 15, 2006, Samuel L. Jackson guest featured on ''The Daily Show'', opening with the film's catchphrase. Keith Olbermann featured stories about the film and Internet buzz several times on his MSNBC news program ''Countdown''. In addition, G4's ''[[Engineering:Attack of the Show!|Attack of the Show!]]'' featured a semi-regular segment entitled "Snakes on a Plane: An Attack of the Show Investigation", and had a week dedicated to the film which included interviews and the appearance of hundreds of snakes on set.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tv.com/attack-of-the-show!/snakes-on-a-plane-x-games/episode/979587/summary.html|title=Snakes on a Plane, X-Games|publisher=TV.com|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

===Internet===
''Snakes on a Plane'' generated considerable buzz on the Internet after Josh Friedman's blog entry<ref name="friedman" /> and mentions on several Internet portals. The title inspired bloggers to create songs, apparel, poster art, pages of fan fiction, parody films, mock movie trailers, and short film parody competitions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originalalamo.com/sites/2blanks/about.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506095702/http://www.originalalamo.com/sites/2blanks/about.aspx|archivedate=2008-05-06|title=(Blanks) on a (Blank): A Filmmaking Challenge Inspired by "Snakes on a Plane|accessdate=October 19, 2009}}</ref><ref name="BelongSteak"/> On July 6, 2006, the official ''Snakes on a Plane'' website started a promotional sweepstakes called "The #1 Fan King Cobra Sweepstakes". The contest made innovative use of the publicity-generating potential of the Internet, requiring contestants to post links on forums, blogs, and websites and collecting votes from the users of those sites.

Many of the early fan-made trailers and later other viral videos and commercials circulated via YouTube, and captured media attention there with such titles as: ''Cats on a Plane'' (which was featured in Joel Siegel's review of ''Snakes on a Plane'' on ''Good Morning America''), ''Snakes Who Missed the Plane'', ''All Your Snakes Are Belong To Us'' (a spoof of the [[Social:All your base are belong to us|All your base are belong to us]] phenomenon), ''Steaks on a Train'',<ref name="BelongSteak">{{cite magazine|last=Robischon|first=Noah|url=http://news10now.com/content/sports/?ArID=21324&SecID=32|title="Snakes On A Plane" comes to life on the Internet|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 22, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130208140752/http://centralny.ynn.com/content/sports/21324/-snakes-on-a-plane--comes-to-life-on-the-internet/|archivedate=February 8, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''Badgers on a Plane'' (a spoof of "Badger Badger Badger"). Several websites also held contests about the film in fan-submitted short films and posters.

In August 2006, Varitalk launched an advertising campaign in which fans could send a semi-personalized message in Samuel Jackson's voice to telephone numbers of their choosing.<ref name="SLJCalled">{{cite news|last=Leo|first=Alexandra|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=2313405&page=1|title=If Samuel L. Jackson Called, Would You See His Movie?|date=August 15, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> Within the first week, over 1.5 million calls were sent to participants.<ref name="SLJCalled"/>

===Previews===
In June 2006, New Line commissioned famed UK audio-visual film remixers and chop-up artists Addictive TV to cut and sample ''Snakes on a Plane'' to create trailers for the U.S. television networks. The official teaser trailer premiered before ''X-Men: The Last Stand'', and the first official trailer appeared online on June 26, 2006.<ref name="BelongSteak"/> Another trailer circulated in July 2006, showing several of the snake attacks and a missing pilot and co-pilot. Rotten Tomatoes had video clips of the official trailers, as well as fan-made trailers.<ref name="RT"/>

During a July 21, 2006 panel discussion at the Comic-Con Convention in San Diego, California, a preview clip from the film was shown to a crowd of more than 6,500 people. The panel included actors Samuel L. Jackson and Kenan Thompson, director David R. Ellis, and snake-handler Jules Sylvester.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2006/07/cant_stop_the_s.html|archive-url=https://archive.is/20060828135030/http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2006/07/cant_stop_the_s.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 28, 2006|title=Can't stop the 'Snakes'|first=Whitney|last=Matheson|newspaper=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]]|date=July 22, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

==Release==
{{quote box|width=25em|quote="No movie shall triumph over ''Snakes on a Plane''. Unless I happen to feel like making a movie called ''More Motherfucking Snakes on More Motherfucking Planes''."|source=—Samuel L. Jackson, joking that the film would win the MTV Movie Award for "Best Film" in 2007<ref name="MTVRedBlack">{{cite news|last=Homer|first=Chris|url=http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2006/08/17/OutAbout/snakes.Inspires.Laughs.Not.Fear-2567540.shtml|title='Snakes' inspires laughs, not fear|publisher=RedandBlack.com|date=August 17, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518012314/http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2006/08/17/OutAbout/snakes.Inspires.Laughs.Not.Fear-2567540.shtml|archivedate=May 18, 2009}}</ref>}}

''Snakes on a Plane'' debuted on August 18, 2006. The film opened in 3,555 theaters and had some late-night screenings on August 17. In a move meant to exploit the attention from the film, a straight-to-DVD Z-movie horror film with a supernatural twist, ''Snakes on a Train'', was released on August 15, 2006, three days before the film's theatrical release.<ref name="SnakesTrain">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117931346.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&nid=2562|title=Snakes on a Train|first=Joe|last=Leydon|magazine=Variety|date=August 18, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

===Critical response===
In mid-July 2006, New Line Cinema announced that it would not be showing any advance screenings for critics.<ref name="NoAdvance">{{cite news|last=Arnold|first=William|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/281456_snakes17.html|title=Fewer movies are being prescreened for critics — and that's a good thing|newspaper=Seattle Post Intelligencer|date=August 17, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> After the film opened, the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 69% based on 175 reviews, with an [[Weighted arithmetic mean|average score]] of 6.22/10 and the consensus: "''Snakes on a Plane'' lives up to its title, featuring snakes on a plane. It isn't perfect, but then again, it doesn't need to be."<ref name="RT">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/snakes_on_a_plane/?page=1|title=Snakes on a Plane|publisher=[[Company:Fandango|Fandango Media]]|work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref> At the website Metacritic, which uses a weighted average rating system, the film earned a mixed rating of 58% based on 31&nbsp;reviews by mainstream critics.<ref name="MetaCritic">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/snakesonaplane|title=Snakes on a Plane|publisher=CBS |work= Metacritic|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> Reviewers reported audiences cheering, applauding, and engaging in "[[Social:Call and response|call and response]]", noting that audience participation was an important part of the film's appeal.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gonsalves|first=Rob|url=http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=15043&reviewer=416|title=Snakes on a Plane| publisher=EFilm Critic|date=August 18, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Seymour |first=Gene |url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ny-etmovsnakesaug19,0,983553.story?coll=ny-moviereview-headlines |title=Snakes on a Plane |accessdate=October 19, 2009 |newspaper=Newsday |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205102628/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ny-etmovsnakesaug19%2C0%2C983553.story?coll=ny-moviereview-headlines |archivedate=February 5, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''The Arizona Republic'''s Randy Cordova gave the film a positive review, calling the film "... an exploitation flick that knows what it wants to do, and it gets the job done expertly." and a "... Mecca for B-movie lovers."<ref>{{cite news|last=Cordova|first=Randy|url=http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0819snakes0819.html|title=Snakes on a Plane|date=August 19, 2006|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' enjoyed the film, asking his readers "... if you can find a better time at the movies this year than this wild comic thriller, let me in on it."<ref>{{cite news|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/18/DDSNAKES.DTL&type=movies|title=Get ready for a wild ride with 'Snakes on a Plane'|date=August 18, 2006|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> ''Boston Globe'' reviewer Ty Burr reacted to Samuel L. Jackson's performance by saying he "... bestrides this film with the authority of someone who knows the value of honest bilge. He's as much the auteur of this baby as the director and screenwriters, and that fierce glimmer in his eye is partly joy."<ref>{{cite news|last=Burr |first=Ty|url=http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=8383|title="Snakes" as bad as it wants to be, and that's good|date=August 18, 2006|newspaper=Boston Globe|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying that "after all the Internet hype about those motherfuckin' snakes on that motherfuckin' plane, the flick itself is a murky stew of shock effects repeated so often that the suspense quickly droops along with your eyelids."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Travers|first=Peter|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/snakes-on-a-plane-20060818|title=Snakes on a Plane|date=August 18, 2006|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> David Denby of ''The New Yorker'' claimed that the film "... may mark a new participatory style in marketing, but it still gulls an allegedly knowing audience with the pseudo-morality of yesteryear."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Denby|first=David|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/04/060904crci_cinema?currentPage=2|title=Disasters|date=August 18, 2006|magazine=The New Yorker|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

Film critic and radio host [[Biography:Michael Medved|Michael Medved]] criticized New Line Cinema for agreeing to re-shoot scenes so that the film would receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America to match fan expectations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Medved|first=Michael|url=http://townhall.com/talkradio/michaelmedved/92015|title=Bomb on a plane|date=August 22, 2006|publisher=Townhall.com|accessdate=August 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Driscoll|first=Ed|url=http://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/2006/08/22/why-snakes-r-doa/|title=Why ''Snakes'' "R" DOA|date=August 22, 2006|publisher=PJMedia.com|accessdate=June 2, 2015}}</ref> He argued that the film would have grossed more revenue at the box office with a PG-13 rating, stating that the demographic most likely to be drawn to a movie titled ''Snakes on a Plane'' is males between the ages of 12 and 15. "My fourteen-year-old son, Danny, for instance, felt a powerful inclination to go out and see the movie with his two sleep-over friends this Sunday night," he explained, "but I wouldn't permit it. It's rated R for good reason."<ref>{{cite news|last=Medved|first=Michael|url=http://townhall.com/tipsheet/michaelmedved/2006/08/22/why_snakes_on_a_plane_crashed|title=Why "Snakes on a Plane" crashed|date=August 22, 2006|publisher=Townhall|accessdate=August 24, 2011}}</ref> Medved ultimately awarded the film 2 1/2 stars out of 4 in a radio review, but said that he did so "grudgingly."<ref>{{cite news|last=Medved|first=Michael|url=http://townhall.com/talkradio/michaelmedved/164127|title=Snakes on a Plane|date=August 18, 2006|publisher=Townhall.com|accessdate=November 11, 2014}}</ref>

===Box office===
Due to the Internet hype surrounding the film, industry analysts estimated that the film's opening box office would be between {{wipe|United States dollar}}20-30 million.<ref name="EW-nobite"/> While ''Snakes on a Plane'' did narrowly beat ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' for the number one position during its opening weekend, it did not meet these estimates and grossed only $15.25 million in its opening days, a disappointment for New Line Cinema.<ref name="NYT-letdown"/> In its second weekend, the film fell to sixth place with $6.4 million, a more than fifty percent drop from its opening weekend revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=357860 |title=Box Office Wrapup: "Invincible" Scores #1 Opening|date=August 27, 2006|last=Ngo|first=Binh|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=October 19, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080205052632/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=357860 |archivedate = February 5, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=snakesonaplane.htm|title=Snakes on a Plane (2006)|website=Box Office Mojo|date=August 27, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2006/08/27/touchdown-invincible/|last=Rich|first=Joshua|title=Box Office Report: Touchdown!|date=August 28, 2006|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=May 11, 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607003816/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1376206,00.html|archivedate=June 7, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed $62,022,014 worldwide.<ref name="GrossTotal">{{cite web|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=snakesonaplane.htm|title=Snakes on a Plane (2006)|website=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

Robert K. Shaye, the founder of New Line, stated that he was "disappointed" that ''Snakes on a Plane'' was a "dud" despite "higher expectations".<ref name="IdentityCrisis">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/business/media/19new.html|title=For New Line, an Identity Crisis|first=Sharon|last=Waxman|newspaper={{wipe|The New York Times}}|date=February 19, 2007|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> The press declared that ''Snakes on a Plane'' was a "box office disappointment",<ref name="NYT-letdown"/><ref name="EW-nobite" /> with ''{{wipe|The New York Times}}'' reporting that after all the "hype online, ''Snakes on a Plane'' is letdown at box office"<ref name="NYT-letdown"/> and ''Entertainment Weekly'' reporting that the film was an "internet-only phenomenon."<ref name="EW-nobite"/>

===Home media===
''Snakes on a Plane'' released on [[Engineering:DVD|DVD]] December 26, 2006 in Region 2; December 28, 2006 in Region 4; and January 2, 2007 in Region 1. The DVD features commentaries, [[Engineering:Deleted scene|deleted and extended scenes]], several featurettes, Cobra Starship's music video, and trailers. The U.S. Blu-ray was released on September 29, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCutcheon|first=David|url=http://bluray.ign.com/articles/101/1019093p1.html|title=Snakes on a Delayed Flight|website=IGN|accessdate=July 22, 2009}}</ref>

===TV version===
The film received further attention when fans noticed the U.S. TV edit of the film purposely dubbed over foul language, replacing it with bowdlerized words for family audiences. An example is Samuel L. Jackson's line toward the end of the film, "I have had it with these motherfuckin' snakes on this motherfuckin' plane!", which is replaced with "I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!".<ref>{{cite web | date = April 25, 2009 | author = Dr. Winston O'Boogie| title= Video: Snakes on a Plane (The TV Edit) |url=http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/Snakes_on_a_Plane___The_TV_Edit.aspx }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/lol-snakes-on-a-plane-the-television-edit/ |title=LOL: Snakes on a Plane - The Television Edit – /Film |publisher=Slashfilm.com |date=2009-04-20 |accessdate=2018-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movietome.com/infocus/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=783447 |title=MovieTome: Movie Reviews - DVD Releases - Movie Trailers |accessdate=2018-04-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422000255/http://www.movietome.com/infocus/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=783447 |archivedate=2009-04-22 }}</ref>

=== Adaptations ===
Black Flame published the novelization of the film, written by Christa Faust.<ref name="ChristaInterview">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33572497_ITM|url-access=registration |title=PW talks with Christa Faust: smoking in the boys' room|first=Donna|last=Chavez|magazine=Publishers Weekly|date=December 3, 2007|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref> The 405&ndash;page novel contains significant backstories for the characters and introduces other characters that were not featured in the film.<ref name="BlackFlameBook">{{cite book|title=Snakes on a Plane|publisher=Black Flame|first=Christa|last=Faust|year=2006|isbn=1-84416-381-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/snakesonplane00chri}}</ref> Comic book writer Chuck Dixon wrote a comic book adaptation of the film. DC Comics released the two-issue miniseries on August 16, 2006 and September 27, 2006 under their Wildstorm imprint.<ref name="DixconComicSOAP">{{cite web|title=Wildstorm/Chuck Dixon do "Snakes On A Plane" Comic|website=Comic Book Resources|first=Johan|last=Weiland|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=7308|date=June 14, 2006|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Snakes on a Plane: The Album
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = August 15, 2006
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      =
| length     =
| label      = Decaydance Records<br />New Line Records
| producer   = Jason Linn
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
{{Album ratings|title=Soundtrack
| rev1      = Allmusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Apar|first=Corey|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r847279|pure_url=yes}}|title=Snakes on a Plane: The Album|website=Allmusic|accessdate=July 22, 2009}}</ref>
|rev2= RapReviews|rev2Score= {{Rating|6.5|10}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Juon|first=Steve|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2006_09_snakesonaplane.html|title=Snakes on a Plane: The Album|publisher=RapReviews|accessdate=April 7, 2010}}</ref>
}}
The soundtrack for the film was released on August 15, 2006. The [[Engineering:Enhanced CD|enhanced]] portion of the CD contains what was considered the "best of the best" of the amateur Internet creations inspired by the film, including the songs "Snakes on the Brain" by Captain Ahab and "Here Come the Snakes (Seeing Is Believing)" by Louden Swain. The single "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" peaked at the 32nd position of ''Billboard'''s Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2006.<ref name="Billboard32">{{cite magazine|url=<!--DEAD LINK http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=377&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Modern+Rock+Tracks&ci=3077857&cdi=9037231&cid=09%2F09%2F2006 DEAD LINK-->|magazine=Billboard|title=Hot Modern Rock Tracks|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}</ref>
# "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" by Cobra Starship, William Beckett, Maja Ivarsson, Travie McCoy
# "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Remix) by Panic! at the Disco
# "Black Mamba" (Teddybears Remix) by The Academy Is...
# "Ophidiophobia" by Cee-Lo Green
# "Can't Take It" (The Baldwin Brothers "El Camino Prom Wagon" Remix) by The All-American Rejects
# "Queen of Apology" (Patrick Stump Remix) by The Sounds
# "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch) by Fall Out Boy
# "New Friend Request" (Hi-Tek Remix) by Gym Class Heroes
# "Around the Horn" (Louis XIV Remix) by The Bronx
# "Remember to Feel Real" (Machine Shop Remix) by Armor for Sleep
# "Wine Red" (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch) by The Hush Sound
# "Bruised" (Remix) by Jack's Mannequin
# "Final Snakes" by Shranky Drank
# "Wake Up" (Acoustic) by Coheed and Cambria
# "Lovely Day" by Donavon Frankenreiter
# "Hey Now Now" by Michael Franti & Spearhead
# "Snakes on a Plane - The Theme" (Score) by Trevor Rabin

==See also==
* List of killer snake films
* ''Flight of the Living Dead''
* ''Quarantine 2: Terminal''

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
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* (archived version)
* {{IMDb title|0417148}}
* {{allrovi movie|313497}}
* {{mojo title|snakesonaplane}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|snakes_on_a_plane}}
* {{metacritic film|snakes-on-a-plane}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Snakes On A Plane}}
[[Category:Internet memes]]

{{Sourceattribution|Snakes on a Plane|1}}