What happens in I Am Legend and how does the ending that was ultimately chosen compare to the alternate ending? The character of Neville has been praised, and he definitely carries the whole story. It's a smart choice that makes the situation feel even more dire, especially since zombies are never far away. It's a chilling premise that leads into a fast-paced and interesting movie.Īdapted from Richard Matheson's novel, which was published in 1954, I Am Legend swaps the book's Los Angeles setting for New York City. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is wandering around New York City, convinced that he's alone after a virus has decimated the majority of the world's population. And it was so popular that a sequel, I Am Legend 2, is in the works. The 2007 movie I Am Legend is one of Will Smith's most famous movies. The theatrical ending to I Am Legend was controversial among fans of Richard Matheson's novel, however, as they felt it failed to thematically capture what made the ending to the book so poignant.There are countless movies and TV shows about viruses that turn people into zombies, some more compelling and well-developed than others.

Ultimately the final ending for I Am Legend was chosen based on audience reception, with the 'Will Smith dies' scenario being responded to most favorably. The theatrical cut made several changes from early drafts, including a version in which I Am Legend 's dog survives. The I Am Legend alternate ending wasn't used in the final cut for multiple reasons. While this ending to I Am Legend maintains the adaptation of Neville dying by suicide, it completely disregards the novel's original reasons for him doing so, as he never realizes that he's unwittingly become the world's villain. Anna and Ethan then set out to find a colony of survivors while taking a sample of Neville's cure, implying that humanity is saved. Neville ultimately sacrifices himself to take out the monsters and allow fellow survivors, Anna and Ethan, to escape. As he discovers a solution to the infected's condition, the creatures storm his house. I Am Legend's original ending in the theatrical cut sees Will Smith's character holed up in his laboratory as he attempts to find a cure for the virus.

The alternate ending to I Am Legend is of course vastly different from the one that made it into the movie.

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