Will Smith 'LEGEND' Tops Box With Est. $70M Weekend...

Deadline Hollywood Daily ^ | Dec 15, 2007 | Nikki Finke

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

SATURDAY AM: Some amazing numbers were posted Friday for this weekend's movie releases. Warner Bros' I Am Legend opens closer to $80 million than the studio's hoped-for $50 million from Friday through Sunday after making a whopping $29.6 million Friday in 3,606 theaters....

*snip*

And the bottom fell out of costly domestic flop The Golden Compass from New Line, which forked out $200+ million to make it, in its second weekend in release. I know, I know, the pic is doing OK overseas. But the fantasy pic is so lost domestically it earned only an anemic $2.6 million Friday from 3,528 nearly empty runs.

*snip*

[mountainbunny]

The movies are based on the same book, which is “I am Legend”, by Richard Matheson.
Richard Matheson was a prolific author. He wrote “The Shrinking Man” (on which “The Incredible Shrinking Man” was based. He wrote “What Dreams May Come”, “Hell House” (”The Legend of Hell House”), “Bid Time Return” (”Somewhere In Time” was based on it), and a bunch more. He wrote many short stories as well. He’s one of my favorite authors of his type.
The book is good, but it is not for everyone. Certainly worth a read if you like horror/science fiction/post-apocalyptic stories.

[napscoordinator]

I don’t see anything wrong with his comments. He was talking about different type of terrorism. Maybe I am not reading into it like some.

[snippy_about_it]

My husband went to see it yesterday. He said still no vampires like the book but that it was good. This is a cure for cancer gone bad, killing off most folks and if you didn’t get killed you became a mutant or a few were just immune.

Mostly it is how you handle life alone. He’s read the book and seen the other movies made from it and liked it.

I hope I’ve got the gist of it. He’s outside blowing leaves before the rain or I’d have him post his thoughts. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

One out and one one the way. Good flick, clean, fun, entertaining and you get to learn some history. ;-)

[Jo Nuvark]

Thanks mb... Seems both were written by Matheson.
And now I share your appreciation for his writing.

The Omega Man is a 1971 science fiction thriller
starring Charlton Heston. The movie is based on
Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, I Am Legend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omega_Man

[LRS]

Thanks for the review!

I can live without the vampire elements, although I usually tend to want movies to remain true to their roots. The Omega Man managed to make it without the vampires. I was wondering if the new movie would follow the Omega Man example, or the Last Man on Earth,which had the vampire elements, or, take elements from both. The Last Man on Earth was genuinely creepy during the first part of the movie, and was mostly a mood piece (IMO). Omega Man was had its moments in its own way (more action).

Good luck on the leaves!

[vetvetdoug]

I saw Legend last night because Alvin was sold out for all of the runs. An interesting piece is that the Paramyxo virus, Measles virus, is very similar to the Canine Distemper virus. One can vaccinate a dog against Measles and it will confer immunity against canine distemper. When one sees the movie one will understand why I mention this piece of trivia. Emma Samson is the cameo in the beginning as the virologist/oncologist.

There were a lot of areas of this movie that could be improved upon, making it more believable, but overall the movie was entertaining. I did like the fact that the characters believed that God had a part in redeeming the ones that were left.

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

Well I just drove up the street to see I Am Legend. There were about 20 people in line waiting in freezing rain to see this movie.

I guess I'll see it tomorrow.

[oust the louse]

I have not seen any of the National Treasure movies. Should I see them, are they good?

YEP!

[BipolarBob]

I saw it yesterday and I liked it. I’d rate it a 7-8 on a scale of 1-10. It had a plot. Had some action. Character development. it was entertaining. If you’re looking for something to change your life . . . then no this is not the one.

[underbyte]

“I Am Legend”. Richard Matheson one of my favorites also Van Vogt and Clifford Simak favorite writers

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

The first film version of "I Am Legend" was Last Man On Earth, starring the late, great Vincent Price. Low-budget, but a seriously creepy and well-done flick!

[Let's Roll]

I saw a commerical on tv last night calling Golden Compass the “#1 movie in America”! Gag me.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Hey, The Omega Man is the second time it was done. In ‘64 The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price was based on the same book.

[ovrtaxt]

lol sorry....

[PapaBear3625]

finally kill I don't know which is more like the book, since I never read it, but I think that The Omega Man was more engaging. That is not to say that I Am Legend is bad. It's still pretty good, but The Omega Man rules.

Omega Man was very like the book, in that at the end the "new men" will go on and create a new society, with Heston as the dark daemon of their new legends (hence the title "I am Legend", which is the last line of the book as the hero realizes all this)

If the new movie has the infected being mindless animals, then it diverges greatly from the book

It's great to see it blow Golden Compass away

[A message]

As someone who in general finds the products produced by Hollywood garbage, I did actually sit and watch the entire first National Treasure on TV.

Not only did it not pi** me off, it turned out to be very entertaining even with commercials.

I give it a solid "A" from a Hollywood hater.

I may actually take the wife to see this new movie, in a movie theatre no less.

[Ipberg]

I’m saving my money for Indiana Jones IV in May 2008...

[RightWhale]

By sheer acccident “I am Legend” is located on my bookshelf on the top, right up front. It is a so-so book but a classic so survived the usual disposal at the recycling bin at the dumpster station.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

I thought this was a remake of Last Man On Earth with Vincent Price when I saw the previews! lol Now THAT movie dragged! I liked it though 'cause I like old movies in general. My daughter and I went to see Legend last nite and we thought it was quite good. A lot of showings were sold out, so we didn't manage to get in until after 10 pm. My daughter was a little put out with how many times I jumped during the movie though! Even screeched once too! - she was really embarrassed over that! I don't do too well with suspense movies. lol And I did appreciate the several apparently genuine and meaningful references to God.