I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic film based on the novel of the same name. It stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a scientist who is immune to a virus that has transformed most of humanity into mutants. He spends his days searching for a cure in New York City while evading the infected mutants. The film was a major box office success, grossing over $585 million worldwide. It received generally positive reviews which praised Smith's performance but had some criticism of the film's climax and use of CGI effects.

1. Sebastian Modes Film Exploration Film Studies Film GCSE: I Am Legend Section 2
I Am Legend I Am Legend originated from a 1954 science fiction/horror novel by American
writer Richard Matheson. It was influential in the development of the zombie
Film GCSE: 1 Am Legend Section I genre and in popularising the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease.
The novel was a success and was adapted to film as The Last Man on Earth in
I Am Legend is a 2007 science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence. Here is 1964, as The Omega Man in 1971, and now as we know it I Am Legend in 2007.
a short synopsis of the film. The screen play for I Am Legend was implemented by Akiva Goldsman and Mark
Protosevich.
It is the year 2012. In the ruins of New York City. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is
a military scientist unable to prevent the cause of an incurable man-made virus. The director Francis Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria on March 26 1970,
Immune, Neville and his trusted dog, Samantha are now the last survivors in what Before Lawrence went into the world of directing he was a co-
is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has director specializing in music videos serving under one Mike Rosen. Lawrence
faithfully sent out daily radio messages in his desperate attempt to find any other shot his first music for Michael Blakey President of Atco Records with the band
survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the Tidal Force which became a great success. Soon, Lawrence became known for his
plague - The Infected - lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... original and imaginative music video scripts and visual directing style. He
waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Neville is perhaps mankind's last, best eventually joined a major new production company and his successful career as
hope, and he is driven by only one remaining mission, to find a way to reverse the music video director, having worked with stars like Britney Spears, Black Eyed
effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered Peas, Jay-Z, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child. In 2005,
and quickly running out of time.
his feature film debut was Constantine based on the Hell blazer comic book,
starring Keanu Reeves.
One of the reasons that I pursued this film more than any other mainly revolves In 2007, he then went onto directing I Am Legend (based on the Richard
around the fact that Will Smith is my favourite actor; I believe that in any given Matheson novel), starring Will Smith.
situation he can perform at a standard of uppermost excellence. One of the other Francis Lawrence has been the director of two films in his directing campaign
attributes of the film that captured my interest was the plot. I believe that this is a however Constantine in 2005 was not of big renown.
thrilling plot because of the sense of realism, that it is possible for this disaster to He also has two films to come, Water for Elephants is being filmed and The City
take place. It is frighteningly exhilarating knowing that as technology skyrockets that Sailed is in Pre-Production.
the possibility of this event will increase by a significant amount. Because of this
reason I found the storyline gripping and exiting. There are 4 main characters within I Am Legend; these four characters consisted
of;
The sequence of the film that i believe to be most powerful and effective is the The main actor Will Smith (1968) taking on the role of Robert Neville.
first scene based on the fact that it is instantaneously interesting and from the start Sali Richardson (1967)
the viewer feels an apocalyptic Aura. A sense of devastation and disaster. Alice Braga( 1983)
and Willow Smith, Will Smiths daughter (2000)
I Am Legend was made by 4 studios, Village Road Show Picture, Weed Road
Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment and Heyday Films. All of these studios have
been noticed in today's latest motion pictures; however, Heyday Films is most
noticeable for producing the well known Harry Potter series. The other studio that

2. caught my eye is Overbrook Entertainment because the production company was
created by Will Smith between 1997 and 1999 around the time when Will Smith
featured in Wild West. Since then it has served as Will Smiths main production
company releasing films such as 1 Robot, Hitch, Pursuit of Happiness, I Am
Legend and Hancock. The Title of this company, "Overbrook" is derived from
Will Smith's high school in West Philadelphia, Overbrook High School.
Budget: 150,000,000
Akiva Goldsman decided to move the story from Los Angeles to New York City
to take advantage of locations that would more easily show emptiness. Goldsman
explained, "L.A. looks empty at three o'clock in the afternoon, however New York
is never empty . . . This makes it a much more interesting way of showing the
windswept emptiness of the world." However, the Warner Bros rejected this
request because of the logistics. Francis Lawrence was determined to shoot on
location to give the film a natural feel that would benefit from not shooting on
sound stages. Lawrence persevered and at last gained this advantage.
Filming began on September 23, 2006.
The scenes that 1 was most intrigued in were the flashback scenes in which the Film Studies: 1 Am Legend Section 3
New York civilians evacuated. This scene contained the view of the famous
Brooklyn Bridge. This scene took six consecutive nights in January and consumed Distribution
$5 million of the film's reported $150 million budget, which was likely the most I am legend has been given many promotional qualities which present itself to the
expensive shot in the city to date. The scene, which had to meet requirements public, one of the main publicity and promotional attractions is because of the role
from fourteen government agencies, involved 250 crew members and 1,000 of Robert Neville played as Will Smith. Fans of one Mr. Smith may be enticed by
extras, including 160 National Guard members. watching Will Smith in a new film, because of his earlier succession. This creates
allot of enthusiasm of the films release. Also Will Smith is lately renown for
starring in films of heroism that show him as saving the world, this could attract
allot of attention because people know of he's quality. Will Smith gaining this role
is also expanded through the media with things such as interviews trailers and
posters. 1 am legend also gained much hype for it had been adapted from the novel
by Richard Matheson, a 1954 horror fiction which was then adapted to films, the
last man on earth and then the omega man. This attracts even more viewers from
the old book or film fans. There are also the fan pages that increase the buzz about
the film. I am legend was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros also
distributed the original Omega Man which follows as one of the three i am legend
films.
A tie-in comic from DC Comics and Vertigo Comics has been created, I Am
Legend: Awakening. 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

3. project. The project will advance from the comic to an online format in which graceful and effortless about this performance, which not only shows what it
animated futurities (created by the team from Broken Saints) will be shown on the might feel like to be the last man on earth, but also demonstrates what it is to be
official website. a movie star?" However Scot also quoted that as the film progressed it lost its
In October 2007, Warner Bros. Pictures in conjunction with the Electric Sheep unique essence."Once they begin swarming, "I Am Legend" inevitably loses some
Company launched the online multiplayer game I Am Legend: Survival in the of its haunting originality, since they look a lot like the monsters in "28 Days
virtual world Second Life. The game is the largest launched in the virtual world in Later" (and its sequel, "28 Weeks Later"). They also represent a less compelling
support of a film release, permitting people to play against each other as the
application of computer-generated imagery than all those empty avenues and
infected or the uninfected across a replicated 60 acres (240,000 m ) of New York
silent buildings."
City. The studio also hired the ad agency Crew Creative to develop a website that
would be specifically viewable on the iPhone.
Merchandise
David Dylan Thomas also posted a review on I
The certificate of I am Legend is a 15 so it is not suitable for advertisement in
McDonald's, reason being McDonald's is a child friendly environment. am Legend, on the website, FilmCritic.com
Merchandise vary from I am legend t shirts and jumpers to action figures and i am gave the film a reasonable 6 star rating. He
legend golf balls. The action figures of Sam and Robert are exclusively produced Thomas explained in his post how he thought
by Hasbro. All of this merchandise promotes the film. that "I Am Legend maintain the power to
awe. The production design by David Lazan
Premieres and Release and Naomi Shohan is nothing short of
At the premiere of the anticipated I am legend all stars were accounted for amazing", I agree with his review, except
including Tom Cruise and jade smith accompanying. The premiere in London was that later on in his review he criticised how as the plot develops queries are
on the 19th December 2007 with the US having their premiere on the 11th of shown of faith and humanity, however as the final moments draw closer the
December 2007.
information given back is rushed ultimately creating an anti-climax, he said that
the result of these signs are underwhelming.I disagree with this opinion, for the
Film Studies: 1 Am Legend Section 4 plot is made intense and overall entertaining because it plays its genre well, the
ending creates tension because the inevitable overrun by zombies was not
On the 14th December 2007 A. 0. Scott foreseen, this complements the thrilling enticing events that create the codes
posted a review of I am Legend and conventions of a horror genre. It is unstable and unthinkable.
on the New York Times website. He gave a
positive view towards the film stating how The film had a budget of $150,000,000, grossing$77,211,321 on its opening
Will Smith is the best of the three actors to weekend in 3,606 theatres, averaging $21,412 per venue, and placing it at the
embrace the life of the last man on Earth, the top of the box office. This set a record for highest grossing opening for a film for
likes of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston; he
the month of December. The film grossed $256,393,010 in North America and
called the overall performance of the film
$585,349,010 worldwide. The film was the sixth highest grossing film of 2007 in
"There is
North America, and as of April 2010 stands among the top 100 all-time highest

4. grossing films both domestically and worldwide.
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
features; and a two-disc special edition that includes all these extras, an
alternative theatrical version of the movie with an alternate ending, and a digital
copy of the film. Blu- Ray disc was released on 8th April 2008, and on December
9th 2008 a three-disk Ultimate Collector's Edition was also released. The film has
sold 7.04 million DVDs and earned $126.2 million in revenue, making it the sixth
best-selling DVD of 2008. However, Warner Bros was reportedly "a little
disappointed" with the film's performance on the DVD market.