To ask other readers questions about i am legend, please sign up. But actually both of those movies were based on a dark, angry book called i am legend, published in 1954 by richard matheson. This man, our protagonist in both the book and film, is robert neville. Still, you cant fault i am legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller. I am legend is based on the book i am legend by richard matheson. There are two camps when it comes to discussing the issue of race in mathesons book. There was another movie, the last man on earth, that came out as well. I am legend 2007 the basics hopefully all of you know the basic story behind i am legend.
This article is about the 2007 movie i am legend based on the book by the same name, written by richard matheson. He was named a grand master of horror by the world horror convention, and received the bram stoker award for lifetime achievement. Its more of a movie based off another movie, omega man, that was based off a bookshort story, i am legend. I am legend is very short, not novel length, only 159 pages long, out of the 312 pages in the book. Brett erlich says a runnerup name for the book of eli is no will, i am legend nightmares in red, white and blue. Also in the book he is more of the last person in a dying race terrorizing the next race that stands to inherit the earth.
The book is well written with i liked this book a great deal and with all books where i. I am legend is named vampire novel of the century this article is more than 8 years old richard mathesons 1954 novel bats off competition from anne rices interview with. Stephen king and many other of todays masters rank this book highly in their personal top ten lists of favorites. It has a different take compared to the other two movies. Although the creatures depicted in the outbreak are technically vampires, mathesons original work is considered by many science fiction and horror fans to be the impetus for the modern zombie horror genre entire, introducing many of its core themes well before night of the living dead.
I am legend is named vampire novel of the century horror. I wanted to write a book with some characters, plot, and setting from the game series the legend of zelda. I am legend film, the 2007 film based on the 1954 novel. The discovery is significant as it confirms that the belief in vampires is not based on superstition, but is a scientific fact. The story stops annoyingly suddenly, as if the rest of it has been missed off. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel. Or perhaps the film simply doesnt have the same nuances as the richard matheson book on which its based. Based on a true story, legend follows the tale of reginald reggie kray and his twin brother, ronald ronnie kray both portrayed by all around great. Looking for another apocalyptic book that is a quick and fun read. In the book they are basically vampires, he uses mirrors, crosses, garlic, stakes and the like to ward them off. It is the third film based on a book whose original impulse was to oneup the screen vampires of an earlier era. Its as if the screenwriters or director, or producer ran out of ways to wrap it up.
Now for a topic thats neither divisive nor prone to eliciting irrational anger and awkward discomfort. It has had quite a few delays but in 2018, it was announced that bcdf pictures had acquired the film rights to the book. Richard mathesons 1954 novel i am legend, though not a massive success when first published, grew over time to be an influential piece of fiction. Choose from 500 different sets of am legend book flashcards on quizlet. Every aspect of nevilles existence is suffused with dangereven something as banal as driving a. Both present the spectator with a differentalternative ending, far from what happen in the actual book. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. But when it comes down to it, is the book really better than the movie. Stephen king said, books like i am legend were an inspiration to me. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well as the original source. I am legend author richard matheson was himself a real legend. It was no surprise when the invention of wings was picked up for oprahs book club 2. Movie marie lu would personally like to see ben barnes play metias junes brother.
Netflix has made a lot of content based on books in recent years, and its latest acquisition from sundance definitely has a plot right out of a scifi novel. Its a 1950s era book when the zombies as we know them today didnt even exist. Set in 1977, the omega man depicts the story of robert neville the same character used in both the original book and i am legend living in a. I am legend is a post apocalyptic vision by richard matheson, created in 1954 it tells the story of robert neville, the last surviving human in the world, surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires both living and undead. The omega man 1971 bizarrely changed the vampires to an albino cult. I have started to write some part of the book, but i dont want to get sued for infringement. The last man on earth,1964 sciencefiction horror film, starring vincent price. Is there any movie based on the i am legend novel by richard matheson that shares the same ending to the book. Neville drives away from the cemetery, still excited with his discovery that sunlight kills the vampires, or at least some vampires. The evolution of the american horror film 2009 title of this film appears on screen. Film omega man with charlton heston, based on the classic novel i am legend.
Is i am legend a complete rip off of 28 weeks later. Richard mathesons i am legend is a masterpiece of horror that has. Please select, personal abuse, off topic, legal issue, trolling, hate. I am meant to be writing a blog about how i am legend, by the late, immensely great. The first says, man, its just a badass vampire book. There are 3 movies that i know of that are based on this book. Despite the books popularity in hollywood, neither those first two adaptations nor this most recent one have been completely faithful to mathesons novel. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves.
I am legend novel, a 1954 novel by richard matheson. Legend is an upcoming film about the first book of the legend trilogy. Stephen king considered this an important book in his development as a writer, and the use of a hero trapped indoors fending off the undead inspired george a. Trusted, sciencebased journalism has never been more crucial, and your. The book has inspired at least two other films, the last man on earth starring vincent price and the omega man starring charlton heston. I am legend, based upon the book by richard matheson that also spawned previous films the omega man and the last man on earth, stars will smith as scientist robert neville, the last man standing in new york after an incurable manmade virus wipes out humanity with the notable exception of zombielike creatures who lurk around every corner. Based on the 1954 richard matheson novel i am legend. He stops by a house, carrying his wooden stake and mallet, and finds a woman whos asleep in her bedroomhe deduces that this woman is a living vampirea human being whos suffering from the vampire plague, but who hasnt actually died and been. Later remade as a 2nd movie with will smith minor cover creasing.
Richard mathesons 1954 novel i am legend has been adapted into films before, most notably 1971s the omega man, with charlton heston. The movie and book is as much about a man slowly going insane from seclusion and loneliness as it is about killing monsters. A trailer project for english class based on the book i am legend by richard matheson. The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. Learn am legend book with free interactive flashcards. I realised that the 2007 film starring will smith was only loosely based on richard mathesons novel. Blending aspects of horror within a science fiction setting, the book is based in the relative future of 1976 but apart from. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the.
The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film. Richard matheson 192620 was the new york times bestselling author of i am legend, hell house, somewhere in time, the incredible shrinking man, now you see it, and what dreams may come, among others. I am legend is arguably the greatest short horror novel ever written, and its influence on the horror genre has been profound. Fastforward to current day when i read the book i am legend which the movie was based on. In i am legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into bloodthirsty creatures of the night. I am legend is based on a 1954 richard matheson scifi novel of the same name. Actually, i am legend was a book published in the fifties by richard matheson, but there were several films that were made based on the novel, like the last man on earth in 1964, and the omega man in 1971. The rest of the book is a collection of short horror stories and not very good ones either.