I Am Legend..... Directed by Ridley Scott starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

[rodneyfaile]

Best Films Never Made

Best Films Never Made: Ridley Scott's I Am Legend | David Brake

Sir Ridley signed on in early 1997, working with the script by Protosevich, with Schwarzenegger set to star as the resourceful, lone survivor Robert Neville. By July 1997, production was slated for a September start date with locations lined up, and everything was going swimmingly but... this was not the case. Scott, never truly impressed by Protosevich's original script, hired John Logan. Logan, who would eventually follow Scott onto Gladiator, had spent months providing ideas and creating several drafts of a dystopian LA destroyed by the virus.

"The Scott/Logan version of I Am Legend was a bold, artistic mash of sci-fi action and psychological thriller, without dialogue in the first hour and with a somber ending."

 

[Probe Droid]

Cool-looking makeup. Far superior to the bad CG in the Will Smith mess.

 

[Lost21stJedi]

Reading the link, I can see why they pulled the plug on the project at the time, however, it would be nice to eventually have another version of this made. While I personally didn't hate the WS version (can't say I loved it either), I would like something more like Vincent Price's portrayal in "The Last Man on Earth" with actual makeup and less CGI characters.

 

[Jedi2016]

That's a book I really need to read. From what I've heard, none of the movies have come close to getting it right. Even the one that's actually called "I am Legend" doesn't talk about why he's legend.

 

[Mola Rob]

Those makeup concepts are cool and I'm sure a Ridley and Arnold version would have been interesting at the very least but this is a story I just don't think translates well to the silver screen.

The various movie versions have all been entertaining to a certain extent but none of them are terrific. I enjoyed Omega Man the most simply because it went the cheesy fun route with the action and creature designs. Can't beat white eyed zombies with big afros!

 

[Apollo]

Shame it did'nt get made.

Hated the Will Smith version.

The Heston cheesefest is my favorite! :lol

 

[Wes R]

The vincent price and heston versions are my favorites. I love the look of the Will Smith movie just not the idiotic storyline. Arnold looks like i imaged the guy in the book to be as he was a factory worker not a researcher.

 

[dascoyne]

I'm biased about that movie.

I took a nice girl on a date to "I am Legend" in IMAX (she said she liked "sci-fi"). It terrified her so much that she almost ditched me in the theater to take the bus home. Afterward I spent the night at her place (on the sofa) because she was too scared to be alone. I drove 60 miles each night to her place for the next couple of weeks so she could feel safe. Today we're happily married with two great kids.

Also I like Mustangs.

 

[CB2001]

I've actually read the novella by Matheson, and its one of the best vampire stories you could ever read. Though Matheson did the script, he was never pleased with The Last Man on Earth (he especially felt that Vincent Price was the worst casting choice for Robert), but its the closest you'd get to a true adaptation in comparison to the two adaptations that followed.

Honestly, after actually reading the novella, I was like, "Why doesn't Hollywood do THIS version of the story? Why does it have to always be a scientist trying to save the world?" If you ever read the story, you'd know that Robert Neville is just a blue-collar factory worker who had the unfortunate luck of being the last known human on Earth. He's not trying to save a world that's long gone, he's just trying to survive, hunting vampires by day, boarding himself inside his home at night and praying to see daylight again, even if he doesn't even know why he really wants to last for the next day. I want THAT I Am Legend, the I Am Legend that Matheson came up with. Don't get me wrong, I like The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man, and I Am Legend with Will Smith was okay only on a technical side (namely creating the long emptied appearance of New York City), they're far from the story that Matheson came up with (and even more so with each adaptation).

 

[DARKSIDE72]

This version would have been soo much better!! Smith with always have that "ah hell no" vibe to his acting IMO.

 

[MFP 2020]

What CB2001 said. I've been an unapologetic fan of Omega Man since I was a kid, but man, the book was SO good. I still remember the absolute dramatic power of the pre-virus scene where Neville opens the door and...his neighbor is standing there...

 

[niennumb1]

Those makeups were bar none, FAR better than that crap they put into the Will Smith film. I absolutely hated that they made those from CGI. I don't mind when effects artists use CGI, but it damn well better look real for a big budget feature. I just couldn't believe that.

 

[tcsmit29]

That's a book I really need to read. From what I've heard, none of the movies have come close to getting it right. Even the one that's actually called "I am Legend" doesn't talk about why he's legend.

Yeah, definately read the book. It is a fairly short read. The phrase "I am legend" doesn't mean "I am an awesome hero", it is more like he comes to the realization or resignation that he is a "has been".