I read the book today and it was pretty good. I liked Constantine, so I have no problem with Francis Lawrence as the director, but I can not really see Will Smith as Robert Neville. The obvious differences aside (white, blond, English), I just do not see Will Smith as the drinking, smoking character of Robert Neville. I would have liked to see someone like Tom Jane in the lead role. I will still give it a chance, because it is a vampire movie.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=14381

Source: Variety May 4, 2006

Will Smith is looking to start work this summer on the Francis Lawrence-directed I Am Legend, a move that would give Warner Bros. Pictures a big summer 2007 tentpole, says Variety. The film originally wasn't supposed to get under way until early next year.

The move would amount to a slot swap with Tonight, He Comes, in which Smith was slated to star this summer. Gabriele Muccino took over the helm of that pic after Jonathan Mostow dropped out. Since Muccino is editing Smith starrer The Pursuit of Happyness for a Sony release in December, the studio pushed its superhero-in-existential-crisis pic until next year.

In I Am Legend, based on the Richard Matheson book, Smith plays the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for his blood.

first to post "Aww Hell Naw!!!"!

With Will Smith starring I'm afraid it'll turn out to be an action movie.Well at least we still have Omega Man.

I have been waiting for a new adaptation of I Am Legend and now I just can not care. I do not dislike Will Smith, but I can not see him in the role and I am afraid the movie will end up being all action, not substance.

To be brutally honest with you I'd rather see Tom Cruise in the role.

Yeah, here's at least hoping they try to stay true to the book's tone.

Agreed. Smith is the last person I envision as Neville.

It's nice to finally see this get off the ground though. I remember years and years ago when Arnold was attached to it.

Yeah, summer of 97 with Arnold and Ridley Scott....

I'll give Will a shot though.

Since I've never heard of, or read the book, I'll wait until I see trailers. The concept sounds cool.

= J

Neville in the book was a big burly guy. A man's man. I think Cruise would be just as bad a choice as Smith. Not excited about the director either.

...

Viggo Mortensen would have been my choice.

I really didn't want this to be turned into a movie.

i hate vampire movies

-NiCK

What, was Jon Heder busy?

Will Smith is a fine actor. However, everything about this news very much worries me. I disliked most of Constantine. I wasn't overly impressed with much of Mark Protosevich's script for I Am Legend (at least the one online that is credited to him). From what I read, it seems that Warner wants Lawrence to "not fix what isn't broke", and turn out a predictable, sterile flick to meet a summer opening date. I have a nasty image of Will Smith fighting hastily-rendered CGI vampires while cracking wise. It is difficult to imagine Smith as the gruff, hardened, unkempt man of the novel.

Even worse, I'd hate them to just use elements from the story and use it to support a humdrum thriller, much like Fox's non-adaptation of I, Robot.

The results will be interesting. I really hope that the film is good, but too many things are already jumping out at me and saying "no". Must withhold judgment though... good luck, Francis Lawrence, may you make a good film.




It's already been filmed twice, and has inspired so many more films. I think it works so well as a book and would make a great film.

Too close to his role in War Of The Worlds, I'd say. Not at first glance, I know...

What I meant was that people seem to dislike Cruise more than Smith when it comes to seeing a big head on a movie poster, but for this type of movie Cruise is more suitable.

I don't know anything about the story except that it's like the Omega Man with Heston and the script has been floating around for ages. From what I've heard it sounds like quite an ambitious movie, and Cruise is better suited to that than Smith.

Nah, it's more like The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price...

<- Sick To Friggin Death Of Will Smith.

That annoying kinda shit from Smith in his movies is precisely what I hate about him, and apparently what the unwashed masses love about him.

My friend and I were talking about this at work today. We're both big fans of the story. Looks like if they made this movie 10-15 years ago there would've been more viable options for Neville.

Smith is just a bad choice. They'll probably change the ending, It doesn't seem like it would go over well with the general audience.

A few guys I would've liked to have seen in the role are Jake Weber, Liam Neeson, or Russell Crowe

Well i have been looking forward to this movie for some time...but hearing that Will Smith is going to be playing Neville has disappointed me. I remember hearing about Arnold and Rdiley teaming up for this and that got me excited. You need some kind of kick arse personality to play Neville.....just like Charlton Heston played him in the Omega Man. The book was enjoyable...but it was short and didn't have much too it. A movie version could vastly improve upon the book. I think Viggo Mortenson would be an interesting choice. I also think that maybe even someone like Bruce Willis could play it well...he seems to play battered and bruised pretty good.

Also with regards to the whole vampire aspect...in the book they were not really vampires. The virus had changed them and they hated Neville becuase he was different....he was how they used to be and they were jealous....so they wanted to kill him as he did not fit in with the new nocturnal way and the changes that the they had received from the virus.

First I, Robot, now this. What classic work of sci-fi will Will Smith "jazzy jeff" up next? Yeesh.

This sounds like a remake of "Last man on Eartgh" *ing Vincent Price. Only difference is see is the vampire twist.

I believe the "Last Man on Earth" movie was loosely based on the book "I am Legend". The book was written in the mid-50's. So book predates both "Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man".