I AM LEGEND (FILM)

'''I Am Legend''' is an upcoming 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. ''I Am Legend'' is based on Richard Matheson's novel of the same name, but the film will be closer to ''The Omega Man'' (1971), the second film adaptation of the novel, rather than the first film adaptation ''The Last Man on Earth'' (1964). ''I Am Legend'' is scheduled to be released December 14 2007.

Contents

Synopsis

Cast

Production

Development

Filming

Marketing

Release

Sequel

References

External links

Synopsis

A man-made virus wipes out the population of New York City, leaving Robert Neville (Will Smith) the last human survivor in the city and possibly the world. Neville lives alone for three years, attempting to contact and find other possible survivors. He is watched by the Infected, mutant victims of the plague. Neville works to find a way to create a cure using his own immune blood, but he finds himself outnumbered by the Infected and running out of time.^[2]

Cast

★ Will Smith as Robert Neville: A former scientist who is the last uninfected human in Manhattan.

★ Salli Richardson as Ginny Neville: Robert's wife.^[3]

★ Willow Smith as Marley Neville: Robert's daughter.^[4]

★ Alice Braga as Anna.³

Production

Development

In 1994, Warner Bros. Pictures began developing the film project, having owned the rights to Richard Matheson's 1954 novel ''I Am Legend'' since 1970.^[5] In June 1997, director Ridley Scott and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger entered talks with Warner Bros. for ''I Am Legend'', based on a script by Mark Protosevich. Actors Tom Cruise and Michael Douglas were previously considered to star in the film.^[6] The following July, Scott and Schwarzenegger finalized negotiations with the studio.^[7] Production slated to begin the coming September,⁶ with Houston as a stand-in for the film's setting of Los Angeles.^[8] In December 1997, the project was called into question when the projected budget escalated to $108 million due to media and shareholder scrutiny of the studio in financing a big-budget film.^[9] Scott rewrote the script in an attempt to reduce the film's budget^[10] by $20 million, but in March 1998, the studio canceled the project due to continued budgetary concerns.^[11] In August 1998, director Rob Bowman was attached to ''I Am Legend'',^[12] but he moved on to direct ''Reign of Fire''.^[13]
In March 2002, Schwarzenegger became the producer of ''I Am Legend'', commencing negotiations with Michael Bay to direct and Will Smith to star in the film. Bay and Smith were attracted to the project based on a redraft that would reduce its budget.^[14] However, the project was shelved due to Warner Bros. president Alan Horn's dislike of the script.^[15] In September 2005, Warner Bros. hired director Francis Lawrence to helm the project, with production slated to begin in 2006.^[16] Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman revised the script,¹⁵ with the story being moved from California to New York to take advantage of locations that would more easily show emptiness.⁵ The story was also written to be closer to ''The Omega Man'' (1971), the second film adaptation of the novel.^[17] In April 2006, Will Smith signed back onto the project, with production to begin in 2007 in New York.^[18]

Filming

Filming began early on September 23 2006.^[19] Locations in New York included the Marcy Avenue Armory in Williamsburg, the Tribeca section of Lower Manhattan, the aircraft carrier ''Intrepid'', the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, Washington Square Park, and St. Paul's Cathedral.⁵ A bridge scene was filmed for six consecutive nights in January on the Brooklyn Bridge to serve as a flashback scene in which New York's denizens evacuate the city. Shooting the scene cost the studio $5 million, which was the most expensive shot in the city to date. The scene, which had to meet requirements from 14 government agencies, involved 250 crew members and 1,000 extras, including 160 National Guard members.^[20] Also present were several Humvees, three Stryker armored vehicles, a 110-foot cutter, a 41-foot utility boat, and two 25-foot Response Boat Small craft. Filming wrapped on March 31 2007.¹⁹

Marketing

A tie-in comic from DC Comics and Vertigo Comics will be released with ''I Am Legend''. The project draws upon collaboration from Bill Sienkiewicz, screenwriter Mark Protosevich, and author Orson Scott Card. The son of the original book's author, Richard Christian Matheson, also collaborated on the project. The project will advance from the comic to an online format in which animated featurettes will be shown on the official website. The comic is due out in November.^[21]

Release

''I Am Legend'' was originally slated for a November 21 2007 release in the United States,^[22] but the release has been delayed to December 14 2007.^[23]

Sequel

The original screenwriter of ''I Am Legend'', Mark Protosevich, pitched the idea of a sequel to Warner Bros., though a deal has not been finalized. The ''Los Angeles Times'' reports the possibility of Protosevich setting the sequel at least ten years in the future.^[24]

References

1. Government agencies cover filmmakers in red tape
2. I Am Legend - Synopsis
3. ''I Am Legend'' casting news
4. Another Smith Joins Legend
5. A variation on vampire lore that won't die
6. Scott, Arnold: 'Legend'-ary duo?
7. Scott is stuff of 'Legend'
8. Arnold's 'Legend' coming here
9. 'Legend' may not live on; Leighton lightens up
10. Fox reins in 'Riders'
11. SCHWARZENEGGER'S 'LEGEND' IS IN PERIL
12. Col taps duo for 'Space'
13. Bowman will reign over Spyglass' 'Fire'
14. 'Legend' rekindled by Arnold
15. Most Delayed Movie Ever?
16. Helmer takes on 'Legend' for WB
17. Johnny Depp Will Not Appear In I Am Legend
18. 'Legend' reborn again at Warners
19. "I Am Legend" Taking Time To Film
20. A 'Legend' in the making
21. CCI: THIS BOOK IS LEGEND
22. Shooting Dates for ''I Am Legend''
23. I Am Legend
24. SCRIPTLAND: The 'Reno 911' guys get 'Fury'-ous

External links

★ Official site

★ Official trailer

★

★ Undated Mark Protosevich script draft