Official I Am Legend Thread

[Bastila]

Yeah new pictures! even know there is not much to them lol.

 

[xwolverine2]

those are old as hell

 

[ToddIsDead]

I just got done reading Akiva Goldsman's last draft for I Am Legend. Overall, I liked it. It's definitely not perfect, but it's a solid script. It could be anything from a decent action flick to a great, epic character study, depending on the final film.

I'll just go through some key points about the script:

• Based on the script, the film is R rated. Now, that could change depending on how it was filmed or whether or not anything is cut, but as it stands from the script, it's R rated. Probably for violence, gore, and language. Your usual horror movie stuff.
• The first half is quite good. [blackout]The first half follows Neville and his dog Sam as they live their monotony filled lives. Hunting deer, getting food and supplies, working out, killing vampires, working to find a cure to the vampire virus, etc. The script is very effective in showing Neville's deteriorating mental state. he is utterly alone. Neville is a man teetering on the edge. He has nothing left to live for, save for his dog (his only companion for the past three years), and the hope that maybe he can find a cure.[/blackout]
• [blackout]It starts to die off a bit in the second half. That's not to say that the second half is bad, but the story switches gears. Neville comes across two survivors; Anna, a girl in her mid-twenties, and Ethan, a young boy. The rest of the script follows the three as they go about their lives together. This is probably where the script differs the most from the book.[/blackout]
• I'm sure you're wondering about the creatures. [blackout]In the broadest terms, they are vampires. They drink blood and are alergic to sunlight. The sunlight causes they're skin to burn and blister. They're never called vampires, but you get the idea. All infected creatures; humans, dogs, rats, etc, are hairless, very strong creatures, with enhanced strength and translucent skin in which you can see their veins and muscles through. They seem to be able to die by gunshot, so don't go in looking for Neville to start staking them. They are more anamlistic than the vampires in the book. They do not talk; only howl and roar. They seem to be able to communicate with each other though.[/blackout]
• [blackout]Ben Cortman is not present. There is one vampire that you called call the leader, but even he isn't much of an issue here. By not having a strong head vampire presence, or even a large presence by the vampires at all, the script is able to focus much more on Neville. This is not a man vs. vampires movie. This is a movie about a man. The vampires are just there. Not to say that they're a non-factor, there're actually thousands of vampires in the script, just that they never overshadow Neville and his story. This is perhaps the script's greatest strength. You never lose sight of Neville and his plight.[/blackout]
• Every bit of New York is used. [blackout]Neville lives in a brownstone in Washington Square Park. He has a make-shift farm set up in Central Park. He has a pond complete with fish and algae set up in a swimming pool in Time Warner Center. Times Square, 5th Avenue, and South Street Seaport are all used to great effect, among many other locations. The film uses almost the whole island at one point or another.[/blackout]
• [blackout]Like the book, flashbacks are used a few times during the course of the script. It flashes back to the evacuation of Manhattan a few times, some of which you've seen in the trailer, and some other stuff between Neville and one of his colleagues.[/blackout]
• [blackout]The words "I am legend" are nowhere to be found in the script, which is a waste. Hopefully they fit it in the final movie somewhere.[/blackout]
• [blackout]The story leaves off in a spot where they can sequelize it. Not a surprise since Mark Protosevich has already pitched a sequel to WB.[/blackout]

There's a lot more which I haven't touched on. I'm not going to be giving the script to anyone out of respect for the person who passed it along to me, but I'll answer any questions that you might have.

 

[Bastila]

So nothing much like the book then, I really liked the ending in the book as well.

 

[ToddIsDead]

Yeah, it's not much like the book. Neville, and the way he behaves are much like in the book. He has the same self-destructive nature and loneliness that he has in the book. If one thing stays intact form the book to the screen, it's the character of Neville himself, which I'd say is the most important.

Those expecting a direct adaptation of the book need not apply. If you go in with an open mind, you might be surprised.

 

[Bastila]

Those expecting a direct adaptation of the book need not apply. If you go in with an open mind, you might be surprised.

Yeah I will, I know its an adation of a book so I bet I will end up liking it.

 

[chaseter]

This looks promising but so did a lot of other Will Smith action flicks.

 

[Retroman]

Good to see those pics in hi-res. Thanks HR.

Has the following been mentioned here?

From IMAX.com:

COMING SOON

I AM LEGEND: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE -- DECEMBER 14, 2007


I AM LEGEND: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE from Warner Bros. Pictures, will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

The film stars two-time Academy Award-nominated actor Will Smith, and is directed by Francis Lawrence. It is is an adaptation of the 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson.

I AM LEGEND: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE will be distributed exclusively by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Source:http://www.imax.com/ImaxWeb/filmDetail.do?type=comingSoon&movieID=code__.__451

 

[ToddIsDead]

I knew it was in IMAX, but I don't know if it has been mentioned in here yet. Seeing a completely empty Manhattan up on the IMAX screen should be quite a sight to see.

 

[matrix_ghost]

I knew it was in IMAX, but I don't know if it has been mentioned in here yet. Seeing a completely empty Manhattan up on the IMAX screen should be quite a sight to see.

Dunno if this applies to all IMAX theaters but here in Holland we saw the teaser trailer in IMAX when they were playing HP.
You get glimpses of the city and yes it was quite cool to see. Especially the zoom out with the Mustang driving thru the empty city.

While the trailer itself is quite meh , it looked faar better in IMAX

 

[terry78]

I was hoping it'd be closer to the book where

Spoiler

the mutated creatures talk and actually have some fear of Neville

that would've given them much more depth, and some ambiguity instead of just having clear cut villains and good guys.

 

[ToddIsDead]

I was hoping it'd be closer to the book where

Spoiler

the mutated creatures talk and actually have some fear of Neville

that would've given them much more depth, and some ambiguity instead of just having clear cut villains and good guys.

[blackout]Unfortunately, it's not like that in the script. The idea that Neville is really the monster in the situation is present, but it's not as apparent as it is in the book with the sympathetic villains and what-not.[/blackout]

 

[xwolverine2]

nothing new?

 

[turtlefocker]

[blackout]Unfortunately, it's not like that in the script. The idea that Neville is really the monster in the situation is present, but it's not as apparent as it is in the book with the sympathetic villains and what-not.[/blackout]

It is gonna be hard to show that on screen without having them sympathetic...

 

[Space Moose]

Very nice. Anyone have any ideas on when we'll get a new poster or trailer? I'm sure they'll put out at least one more trailer and poster before December.

Doesn't the movie come out in November?

 

[ToddIsDead]

Doesn't the movie come out in November?

December 14th

It is gonna be hard to show that on screen without having them sympathetic...

It works in the movie. Maybe not as well as in the book, but in the context of the movie, it works. At least in the script. We'll have to see how it's translated to the screen.

 

[Bastila]

Comes out Jan 4th over here, Empire has it as its cover for the new issue and set reports etc

 

[Honeysuckle]

i'm actually kinda okay with the changes but i was never really a hardcore fan of the book so that might cloud my judgement a bit.

the only thing that really rubs me the wrong way is:

Spoiler

that the vampires aren't portrayed in a more sympathetic light.

like someone else already said, that would have added some ambiguity to the story.

 

[Bastila]

i'm actually kinda okay with the changes but i was never really a hardcore fan of the book so that might cloud my judgement a bit.

the only thing that really rubs me the wrong way is:

Spoiler

that the vampires aren't portrayed in a more sympathetic light.

like someone else already said, that would have added some ambiguity to the story.

Agreed, in the book I like the way they are wrote and how it all turns out.

 

[bullets]

i heard they were just mutated in the movie and not actually vampires

 

[aaron]

i just have the bad feeling this'll be so so

 

[GoldGoblin]

I hope we get really scary vampires.

 

[Abaddon]

I finished watching The Last Man on Earth. Pretty faithful adaptation. Vincent Price sucks tho.

 

[chaseter]

i just have the bad feeling this'll be so so

Me to

 

[Mr. Socko]

Can't be any worse than Resident Evil.