Richard Matheson’s book, I Am Legend, is not the vampire yarn it is often billed as. It is written with more skill than the average horror story. In fact, it is more of a story of survival than anything else.
Here’s to hoping that the film version of the book, set for release in mid-December, will not trade Matheson’s psychological thrills for a higher special effects scare factor. From the trailer, it seems like the celluloid Legend will stay true to the book.
This appears to be a good role for Will Smith. Since I was a teenager when he was doing sitcoms and releasing rap albums, I’ll always think of him as The Fresh Prince, but he has carried his stardom well. I almost trust that he wouldn’t have agreed to act in Legend if it wasn’t going to be a quality production of Matheson’s story. (Then I remember Bad Boys II, and I decide not to get my hopes up).
Still, it looks like it could be a big hit. Former music video director Francis Lawrence directs.
