Omega Man and "I Am Legend" (1 Viewer)

[eric tengren]

This book, I AM LEGEND, is the basis for the pandemic sci- fi movies of the past 40 years. everything from The Stand book and mini sereies to 28 Days later or cheese like Night of the Comet. The Last Man on Earth is A very low budget Italian film that has some very good scenes but falls apart in the ending,Vincent Price is excellent in a rare non- villian role,he is more of an everyman. not a wisecracking,action hero{the fresh prince ,the governator are not everyman }.THE OMEGA MAN, is very 1960's it has a cult following with some, but the vampirism has been toned down and feels dated to me.I think cinema- wise George Romero has come the closest to the allegorical nature of the novel with his DEAD films.One society rising up and devouring the last.I AM LEGEND is brilliant.If they do a remake,Lets hope it is giving respect to the source book.

 

[Carlo_M]

Count me in as another who wants a FAITHFUL adaptation of the novel (actually novella might be more accurate). And the story is so short that they really don't need to excise much out of the screenplay either.

And definitely they should NOT mess with the ending.

It'd be nice if they could get a lesser known actor to do it (not the Will Smith/Ah-nold range).

 

[dana martin]

anymore news on this

 

[DavidPla]

Will Smith has just been cast as the lead.

 

[Carlo_M]

Oh no....

And yes, I am a Will Smith fan. But the type of movie that usually involves him as the lead is not the kind I would associate with the same kind of thematic approach and tone that IMO a true and faithful adaptation of I Am Legend would require.

Let's hope I'm wrong...

 

[Andy Sheets]

The bigger issue to me is that they're apparently bringing in Akiva Goldsman to redraft the script. I guess this means we can look forward to lots of "AH HELL NO!" style dialogue from Smith (who I like when he's serious about his roles).

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I'm out.

 

[Norm]

I'm out as well!

 

[JediFonger]

http://darkhorizons.com/news06/060426g.php

 

[Steve Christou]

It could have been worse, it could have been Chris Tucker or... worse case scenario, Chris Rock.

Denzel Washington would have been a fine choice, at least he's a genuinely good actor and not a comedian.

No my choice would have been Viggo Mortensen, so effective in A History of Violence.

Oh well, we had Will Smith battling aliens and robots, why not mutants?

The definitive film version of I am Legend will just have to wait, maybe another 20 or so years?

 

[Shawn_KE]

I like Will Smith, but not in this type of movie.

I see I, Robot type jokes all through it. Viggo is a interesting choice.

 

[Malcolm R]

Yep, another anticipated film that I can cross off my future theatrical viewing list.

Probably a good thing considering the price of gas.

 

[Carlo_M]

Viggo would have been a great choice, IMO. Yikes, I like to give things the benefit of the doubt, but this is starting to look less and less promising...

 

[JediFonger]

arnuld would have been kewl in his prime =).

 

[Norm]

I just wonder how good this could have been had Ridley Scott stayed with the picture.

 

[Jason Walstrom]

I am Legend is one of my favorite books. I am bummed. Will Smith doesn't even enter my top 100 actors for the lead ideas list.

 

[Quentin]

The attachment of Akiva Goldsman almost guarantees "Will Smith-like jokes" throughout. Ugh. "You did NOT just bite my girlfriend!" :frowning:

I like Will Smith. He is capable of carrying a film...a real movie star type. But, he and his people think he needs to sprinkle in his "Fresh Prince-like" hip-hop attitude to appease his fans. He is wrong. If he played this straight it could be good. I doubt we'll see that.

 

[JackS]

If you've seen neither "last man on earth" or "Omega Man", forget the latter and buy LMOE. Omega was a big dissapointment for me many years ago when I really expected a big budget rendition of Last Man on Earth.
I think for those who have seen both ,the majority would agree with me.

 

[Chucky P]

I consider “I Am Legend” to be one of my favorite books but I also consider that if Akiva (stick to hokey Ron Howard, Russell Crowe flicks) Goldsman writes the screenplay for this it would be the equivalent of taking a tinkle on the book.

My pick for Robert Neville would be Jude Law.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Matheson's still alive and working, isn't he? And he's an experienced screenwriter. Maybe someone should ask him if he'd be interested in adapting his own work to the screen...