Neville's past is occasionally revealed through flashbacks; the disease claimed his daughter, whose body the government forced him to burn, as well as his wife, whose body he secretly buried but then had to kill after she rose from the dead as a vampire. The game was the largest launched in the virtual world in support of a film release, permitting people to play against each other as the infected or the uninfected across a replicated 60 acres (240,000 m2) of New York City. As such, it's no surprise that the book has been adapted for the big screen, in this case three different times. I Am Legend was originally slated for a November 21, 2007, release in the United States and Canada, but was delayed to December 14. [27] The film was shot primarily in the anamorphic format, with flashback scenes shot in Super 35. It is the third feature-film adaptation of Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Warner Bros. began developing I Am Legend in 1994, and various actors and directors were attached to the project, though production was delayed due to budgetary concerns related to the script. A male Darkseeker goes after them, but is blocked by the sunlight and returns to the shadows. A lot of the movie takes place on a beautiful day. Fast & Free shipping on many items! I really liked that one, and I (wrongly) assumed that since they had used the original title from the book that both movies were based on, that it stayed closer to the original source material. The Virgin Years: 1977 - 1983 Tangerine Dream. [51] The stunt was part of his "Neg's Urban Sports" section of comedy game show Balls of Steel. Scenes feature Smith's Neville and dog Sam chasing wildlife in a 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. [30] Michael Tadross convinced authorities to close busy areas such as the Grand Central Terminal viaduct, several blocks of Fifth Avenue, and Washington Square Park. Smith later discussed the premise, which would have his character and a team going from New York City to Washington, D.C., as they made their last stand against those infected with the virus. However, Neville realizes he is being watched by the Darkseekers all over the buildings. One day, a stray, injured dog finds its way to his street, filling Neville with amazed joy. [55], I Am Legend grossed $77,211,321 on its opening weekend in 3,606 theaters, averaging $21,412 per venue, and placing it at the top of the box office. Be the first to write a customer review. Swarms of vampires surround his house nightly and try to find ways to get inside, which includes the females exposing themselves and his vampire neighbor relentlessly shouting for him to come out. The … I Am Legend, the 2007 film based on the 1954 novel; I Am Legend, a South Korean drama "I Am Legend" (song) This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title I Am Legend. Weekly dust storms ravage the city, and during the day, when the vampires are inactive, Neville drives around to search them out in order to kill them with wooden stakes (since they seem impervious to his guns' bullets) and to scavenge for supplies. [26] This adaptation also deviates significantly from the novel. $4.29 Used. Realizing the infected attackers may intend to kill him after all, he fires on them and in turn is shot and captured. However, the bacteria also produce resilient "body glue" that instantly seals blunt or narrow wounds, making the vampires bulletproof. The site's critical consensus reads, "I Am Legend overcomes questionable special effects and succeeds largely on the strength of Will Smith's mesmerizing performance. In December 2007, China banned the release of American films in the country, which is believed to have delayed the release of I Am Legend. With Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Then, a special effects test was conducted to remove all those people. Despite his efforts, the sickly dog dies a week later, and Neville, robbed of all hope, resignedly returns to learning more about the vampires. A… Neville and the alpha male stare each other down, where Neville apologizes to the latter after seeing tears roll down the alpha male's eyes. Production began in 2006 in New York City, filming mainly on location in the city, including a $5 million scene[5][6] at the Brooklyn Bridge. At night, he barricades himself with Sam inside his heavily fortified Washington Square Park home to hide from the Darkseekers. 4.6 out of 5 stars 255. A week into filming, Francis felt the infected (referred to as "Darkseekers" or "hemocytes" in the script), who were being portrayed by actors wearing prosthetics, were not convincing. When Neville wakes, he discovers a note from Ruth confessing that she is indeed a vampire sent to spy on him and that he was responsible for the death of her husband, another vampire. After discussing the effects of Neville's vampire-killing activities on the new society, she acknowledges the public need for Neville's execution but, out of mercy, gives him a packet of fast-acting suicide pills. Neville injects her with a strand of his serum, but when she shows signs of infection, Neville is forced to choke her to death before she turns. 25 minutes long, same single song played with minor variations. [16] Film critics noted that the British film 28 Days Later (2002) and its sequel 28 Weeks Later both feature a rabies-type plague ravaging Great Britain, analogous to I Am Legend.[17]. The three adaptations show him finding a remedy and passing it on. Driven insane by the disease, the infected now react as they believe they should when confronted with these items. Neville finds a promising treatment derived from his own blood, so he sets a snare trap and captures a female Darkseeker. Stage & Screen, Classical. Download or stream from your Apple TV, Roku, Smart TV, computer or portable device. Directed by Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow. Lawrence noted, "We weren't seeing fully rendered shots until about a month ago. He also met with a person who had been in solitary confinement and a former prisoner of war. [57] The film was the sixth-highest grossing film of 2007 in North America, and as of April 2014, it remained among the top 100 all-time highest-grossing films both domestically and worldwide (unadjusted for ticket price inflation). Shooting the scene consumed $5 million of the film's reported $150 million budget, which was likely the most expensive shoot in the city to date. Neville and Sam eliminate them, but Sam is bitten during the fight. I Am Legend is three film genres for the price of one: Science Fiction, Action, and Horror, and while it's no classic in any one arena it remains edgy fun. A collection of stories. The ending of the film was also altered to portray Neville as sacrificing his life to save humanity, rather than being executed for crimes against the surviving vampiric humans, although a deleted ending for the film was closer in spirit to the book. Lawrence went to the city with a camcorder, and filmed areas filled with crowds. And this is why we love it. [27] The closure of major streets was controversial with New Yorkers. [19][20], An unrelated film tie-in was released in 2007 as a one-shot I Am Legend: Awakening published in a San Diego Comic-Con special by Vertigo.[21]. Neville accepts his fate and asks Ruth not to let this society become too heartless. I Am Legend is about a zombie-like horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you understand the personal journey of its hero. [13] In 1995, Warner Bros. began developing the film project, having owned the rights to Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend since 1970[14] and having already made the 1971 adaptation The Omega Man. It far surpasses Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe in that regard. Music from the credits not present. [57], The film was released on DVD on March 18, 2008, in two editions: a one-disc release, including the movie with four animated comics ("Death As a Gift", "Isolation", "Sacrificing the Few for the Many", and "Shelter"), and other DVD-ROM features, and a two-disc special edition that includes all these extras, an alternative theatrical version of the movie with an ending that follows closer to that from the novel,[58] and a digital copy of the film.