It's one of Tim Burton's most legendary films, it stars Sarah Jessica Parker, and it's just arrived on HBO Max.

One of Tim Burton 's most talked-about films, released in 1996 under the umbrella of the science fiction comedy and with an ensemble cast led by Hollywood icons, has just landed on the streaming platform HBO Max . The premise: Martians who "come in peace" unleash global chaos while politics, science, and the military are showing their seams.

This is Mars Attacks! , a satire of alien invasions directed and co-produced by Burton with a script by Jonathan Gems based on the famous collectible cards of the American brand Topps. With music by Danny Elfman, the film brought together great names in acting, such as Jack Nicholson (in a double role) , Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker , Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Lukas Haas and Natalie Portman, among others.

The production, conceived as an irreverent homage to 1950s B-movies and Irwin Allen's disaster movies, ultimately relied on Industrial Light & Magic to animate the Martians using a computer, after stop-motion was ruled out due to costs and deadlines. With a budget of between $80 and $100 million and a worldwide box office gross of $101.4 million, it was perceived as a failure in the United States, although it was better received in Europe and was nominated for the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation and several Saturn Awards.

The film functions as a fierce caricature of media institutions and egos, while deploying cultural nods (from the theremin to pop iconography) that have made it a cult title in Burton's filmography. Its dark comedy tone and stellar cast remain iconic: from Nicholson's dual role to memorable episodes like Parker's anchorwoman and her improbable head transplant.

Its 106-minute runtime and blend of satire, action, and parody make it perfect for those looking for a truly entertaining time. Mars Attacks! has returned to the small screen with the mischievous energy that divides, fascinates, and, above all, invites us to revisit the imagination of the man behind the series Wednesday .