FILM · 2007 · USA
I Am Legend
- Directed by
- Francis Lawrence
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Studio
- Village Roadshow Pictures, Weed Road Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment
99 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone.
Summary: TMDB
76 Interesting Facts About I Am Legend
- #002
When Dr. Robert Neville sees the mannequin he calls "Fred" out on the street, the mannequin appears to move its head slightly. A mime was used in place of the mannequin in that scene, an attempt to play with the audience's minds as they watch it.
- #003
Will Smith said that closing down the streets of New York City for the film meant getting a lot of "middle fingers."
- #004
When Sam is injured fighting the infected dogs, the trainer taped a piece of tape to Abbey's paw to make her limp.
- #005
To understand what it is like to be completely alone, Will Smith spoke with former prisoners. They told Smith that the key to surviving solitary confinement is establishing a strict routine.
- #006
Contains a major spoiler — show
The film has an alternate ending in which Dr. Robert Neville not only survives but also learns a valuable lesson. When the creatures attack, their leader stops and makes a butterfly on the window with his dirty hands. Neville then remembers the butterfly tattoo he saw on the infected woman he had captured for experiments earlier in the film and realizes the leader is sending a message about her. He reunites her with the creatures, and the leader presses his head against hers with passion and lets out a very painful roar as he cries. Neville learns that the creatures may not be human but still retain some human emotions and higher brain functions. He apologizes to the leader in tears, and the leader then orders the rest of the infected to leave them alone. Neville then breaks down, sits, and looks at pictures of the previous subjects who died during his experiments. He later abandons his research and drives away with Anna (Alice Braga), Ethan (Charlie Tahan) and the vial of blood containing the cure. This idea was cut entirely from the film and a new ending was added in which Neville gives the cure to Anna. He then blows himself and the creatures up with a grenade, saving her and Ethan. Anna and Ethan later go to Vermont and find the colony. Many people hated this ending, so a version with the alternate ending had its first showing in limited-edition DVD sets and on the Blu-ray release. Although the alternate ending does not match the ending of the original book exactly, it preserves the spirit of the lesson Neville ultimately learns: that he misunderstood the infected, how they had become a society operating in the shadows and retained part of their humanity, and that Neville was the "legend" the infected warned each other about, since he killed and abducted most of them during the day while trying to find a cure that the infected largely did not care about.
- #007
While in pre-production on this film, director Francis Lawrence found himself watching The Pianist (2002) with the sound off so as not to disturb his sleeping baby, and he noticed how extremely poignant the effect of silence was. He then built the stark silence that became a key part of this film's process, using limited ambient effects or musical cues.
- #008
At a press conference in Japan for the film's premiere, Will Smith accidentally revealed the film's ending to a group of entertainment reporters. Warner Brothers asked the reporters and everyone present to hold back the film's ending, and all of the reporters agreed without expecting anything in return.
- #009
The screams and otherworldly sounds of the infected creatures in this film were performed by Mike Patton, the vocalist of Faith No More, "Fantomas" and Mr. Bungle.
- #011
All of the paintings in Dr. Neville's house were provided by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In the story, he also uses pieces "borrowed" from the same museum, much as he presumably has tapes from the NBC program library.
- #012
The producers could not close all the streets at once, so every weekend they filmed Will Smith driving in a different corner of the city. People on the street hid and filmed him with their cell phones as he drove past.
- #013
The film's animal trainer found Abbey in a dog kennel. She had the right look but had received no training at all. He had only a few weeks to train her.
- #014
Contains a major spoiler — show
The death of the dog Sam was voted online as "One of the Saddest Film Scenes of All Time."
- #015
The studio spent an estimated five million dollars on a six-night shoot in New York City that included the Brooklyn Bridge. To film at this location, the producers needed the approval of fourteen government agencies. The shoot required a crew of two hundred and fifty as well as a thousand extras, including one hundred and sixty National Guard troops in full combat gear.
- #016
This film was greenlit without a script.
- #017
Plants were trucked in from Florida to decorate the city streets as if weeds had overrun them.
- #018
For most of the film there is no main score. The music is used minimally to emphasize Neville's isolation.
- #022
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the scene where Neville searches the apartments, one of the closets contains an article stating that infected dogs can come out in the evening darkness, which leads to a later scene in which Neville and Sam are attacked by dogs. This explains why the Alpha does not attack Neville either, since the sun has not fully set.
- #023
When Sam runs on the treadmill, the dog had rehearsed well for running on a treadmill. The trainers got her used to walking slowly and gradually progressed toward running. The dog was attached to a safety line held by the trainer, but she enjoyed the motion so much that the trainer never needed to use it. The dog was rewarded with treats.
- #024
Contains a major spoiler — show
Robert Neville wears two watches, one digital and one analog, as a backup so he never misses the sunset alarm.
- #025
The "Darkseekers" were created using animation with actors and actresses wearing motion capture suits. They tried live actors and actresses, but Akiva Goldsman said it looked "like Attack of the Angry Mimes."
- #026
Much of the film was shot in Washington Square Park in New York City during the fall and winter of 2006-2007, which caused the holiday decorations to be removed and replaced with chaos for more than three months.
- #027
Will Smith called the head of DreamWorks to ask that Shrek (2001) be used in the film.
- #029
Contains a major spoiler — show
Although the creatures are called "Dark Seekers," in this film they are referred to as "Hemocytes" if watched with subtitles on the DVD.
- #030
Sam fights several "infected" dogs. For reference, a photo of Sam was taken and the fight was then created on the computer.
- #031
The scenes on the Brooklyn Bridge featured more than a thousand extras and various military vehicles and aircraft.
- #033
Will Smith's daughter Willow played his daughter in this film.
- #034
One important reason Neville's broadcast message is on AM (amplitude modulation) is that its signal is not limited to line-of-sight communication like FM (frequency modulated radio waves). AM radio can be heard far beyond the horizon of the transmitter tower.
- #036
During the explosions, air cannons and hydraulic rigs were used to shake Neville's house.
- #038
Before the project starring Will Smith and directed by Francis Lawrence was finally greenlit, the closest it came to being made was in early 1998, when Warner Brothers first gave the go-ahead to a version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Sir Ridley Scott. The studio's art department and special-effects staff had even begun working on a design for the apocalyptic mutant creatures. However, some of Warner Brothers' high-profile big-budget failures and the (then) enormous initial budget of one hundred twenty-five million dollars led to the project being shelved. Had the film been made from Mark Protosevich's original screenplay, it would have differed from the 2007 version in three significant ways: it would have been set in California's Bay Area, it would have been more of an action film and less of a drama, and it would have been shot with the aim of an R rating, which would likely have drawn fewer viewers.
- #039
In a scene on the deserted street, a billboard featuring a large superimposed Batman and Superman logo is visible, dated "5-15-10." This is a joke by screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who did rewrite work on a "Batman Versus Superman" project in 2002. It was just one of numerous attempts to revive the Superman franchise that culminated in the release of Superman Returns (2006). Superman and Batman would not share the screen together until Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Will Smith played Deadshot in Suicide Squad (2016), which is set in the DC Extended Universe of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
- #040
In the film, Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) holds up a CD and calls it "the best album ever made." The album is Bob Marley's "Legend," Marley's biggest posthumous hits compilation.
- #041
When this film was shown in IMAX theaters, it played without any previews except for the six-minute opening bank robbery sequence from The Dark Knight (2008).
- #042
Because closing down Times Square was so difficult, the hunting scene was shot on a sound stage.
- #044
The exterior of Robert Neville's townhouse was shot in Washington Square, but the interior of the house was shot on a set in Brooklyn.
- #045
The film is set in the years 2009 and 2012.
- #046
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the final scene of the theatrical version, Anna and Ethan are driving through autumn countryside. This scene was shot in West Amwell, New Jersey, because the leaves on the trees at the original location had already fallen.
- #047
Steven Spielberg visited the set one day. He made everyone very nervous. Spielberg's first film, Duel (1971), was written by Richard Matheson, the author of "I Am Legend."
- #049
Creating all of the computer-generated creatures took a team of about three hundred people fourteen months.
- #051
When Neville carries the injured Sam after the fight, the trainers placed her in a "down/stay" position, and Smith signaled her to keep her head down as he lifted her and put her in the car.
- #052
The film's infected dogs were based on Mexican hairless dogs (known as Xolos) owned by the trainer.
- #053
The original plan was for the infected to be played by real people in heavy makeup and prosthetics, but according to the team, early test results showed they looked more like "angry mimes." It was then decided to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) to portray the creatures.
- #054
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the flashback, before the helicopter crash, Marley gives Sam (as a puppy) to Neville and says "Sam, you protect Daddy," foreshadowing when Sam actually saves him from the infected dogs.
- #055
During the initial interview with the Doctor about the cancer cure, a news ticker runs along the bottom of the screen with the headline "Shaquille O'Neal to announce his retirement at the end of 2010 season."
- #057
The dog's injuries were created using prop blood made from a non-toxic mixture of petroleum jelly and corn syrup.
- #058
In Times Square, there is a billboard for Justice League: Mortal, which was set to be released on May 10, 2010. The video store also features posters for live-action adaptations of Teen Titans and Green Lantern (2011).
- #059
Above Neville's television is a copy of Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night," a painting that depicts the violence and chaos of the night sky.
- #060
Will Smith left the production for a few days to attend Tom Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes in Rome, Italy.
- #063
Bob Marley's song "Three Little Birds" had previously been used in another Will Smith film, Shark Tale (2004).
- #067
Release prints were delivered to theaters under the fake title "Blood Allies."
- #068
Warner Brothers acquired the rights to Richard Matheson's novel in the 1970s and produced a version titled The Omega Man (1971). Before that, Associated Producers had made an adaptation in 1964 titled The Last Man on Earth (1964), starring Vincent Price, shot in Italy and directed by the Italian Ubaldo Ragona and the American Sidney Salkow. Although Matheson did not contribute to the screenplay of The Last Man on Earth (1964), which received a critical drubbing, he did contribute to the screenplay of this film.
- #069
A military bomb was dropped on the Brooklyn Bridge. Amid the chaos, the burning bridge collapses into the water below. A significant amount of digital wizardry was used to capture the missile's impact. Nevertheless, the surrounding evacuation was shot in the same location over six nights and required the cooperation of 1,000 extras, 14 different government agencies, extensive lighting equipment and a crew of 250. The increased bureaucracy after September 11 turned getting the project greenlit into a "Sisyphean" task that cost 5 million dollars.
- #070
Contains a major spoiler — show
All the vehicles used by the main characters are Fords. These include the Ford/Shelby GT500 Mustang (actually a GT500 Cobra) that Neville drives at the beginning, the Ford Expedition he drives throughout the film, and the Ford Escape he finally leaves New York City in.
- #071
When Neville talks with Anna about their plans, you can see that she uses UV light both to grow her plants and to disinfect her cooking vessels.
- #073
When Neville gives Sam a bath, the dog was used to being bathed and the water was comfortably warm. The shampoo was a tear-free formula, and a traction mat covered the bottom of the tub. The dog was given treats and was thoroughly rinsed and dried between takes.
- #074
Creature Designer Patrick Tatopoulos also created the aliens for Will Smith's Independence Day (1996). His studio made 3D sculptures of the designs that were used as reference for the computer animation.
- #075
In a scene where the camera zooms in on Will Smith walking down an empty street, a red 1970 Ford XL Convertible is on his right. It is the same make and model that Charlton Heston drove in The Omega Man (1971).
- #076
Nine-year-old Charlie Tahan had never appeared in a film before 2007, but by the end of that year he had roles in three films.
- #077
When Sam is seen in a moving vehicle, the car seat was covered with a foam mat for traction and the dog was secured to the seat with a belly line held by a trainer hidden in the back seat. The trainer in the back seat gave the dog commands, while a trainer just outside the car door offered food to coax the dog into putting its head out. A stunt car was used for the portion of the scene in which Neville drives erratically. The high-speed chases were shot separately without the dog. In reality, the dog was never in a high-speed chase or jolted by a sudden stop. For the shots of the car spinning around, crew members placed the special car on rotating cars and turned it manually for the short shot. The dog, which appeared to enjoy the motion, was loaded into the car and held by the trainer. In the scenes where the car simply drives down the street, Will Smith drove slowly and the dog was secured with a harness and a belly line attached to a leash held by the back-seat trainer.
- #078
In the story, it is entirely plausible that the time-coded copies of the NBC Today program and everything else he watches on television came from the NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (also known as 30 Rock).
- #079
Neville wears a Belstaff Trialmaster "Legend" jacket.
- #080
Contains a major spoiler — show
Neville kills himself and the "Dark Seekers" with an M67 High-Explosive Fragmentation grenade.
- #081
Dame Emma Thompson and Will Smith both appeared in Men in Black 3 (2012).
- #082
While Sam limps after being injured, Abbey's trainer stuck a piece of tape to her paw to create the effect.
- #083
At 20 minutes and 25 seconds, Neville reads a map showing "Hudson Square." This is actually Saint John's Park, though most if not all of the street names appear correct. On the map, Neville highlighted only takeout food outlets (but not limited to them). It is notable that this real-world location has a very high concentration of takeout food establishments.
- #085
The rifle Will Smith uses throughout the film is a Colt Law Enforcement Model 6920 Carbine with a Trijicon ACOG optic (TA31 series), a C-MORE free-floating rail, ERGO rail covers and a Pentagon MD3R tactical light. According to London Propstore, the weapon was modified to fire fully automatically for this film. He also uses a flat dark earth (tan) framed Heckler & Koch Mark 23 as his main weapon. It is seen in his holster, but he also carries one in the driver's door, particularly when he shoots the infected dogs in the middle of the film. Along with several firing Mark 23s used on set, there were also rubber versions for stunt work. In most of the scenes where Will Smith carries his weapon in a holster, a lightweight airsoft Mark 23 (with a tan frame painted to match the firing pistols), a Beretta 92FS and a Smith & Wesson 5946 were used. The 5946 in DAO configuration is one of the three pistols used by the N.Y.P.D. (the other two being the Glock 19 and the P226 DAO), so it was probably salvaged by Neville from an N.Y.P.D. officer.
- #086
Zack Snyder was originally planned to direct, but they decided to choose Francis Lawrence instead. He chose to make 300 instead of the project.
- #087
Will Smith cited Cast Away (2000) as the major influence on this film.
- #089
About ten minutes after it begins, the film can be seen for a few seconds on a recorded television program in Piazza San Carlo in Turin, Italy, the city that hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
- #091
Timur Bekmambetov, Neill Blomkamp, Guillermo del Toro, Michael Dougherty, Antoine Fuqua, Chris Gorak, Sam Raimi, Ridley Scott, Pete Travis and Robert Zemeckis were considered as directors.
- #092
Will Smith and Charlie Tahan have both worked on DC-related material. Smith played Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, in Suicide Squad (2016), and Tahan played young Jonathan Crane, aka The Scarecrow, in Gotham (2014), which also featured Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. This film's screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman, also wrote Batman & Robin (1997).
- #093
This was Caitlin McHugh's first appearance.
- #094
Production designer Naomi Shohan had previously worked with director Francis Lawrence on Constantine (2005).
- #095
The film Ethan (Charlie Tahan) watches is Shrek (2001). Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey in that film, appeared with Will Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith in The Nutty Professor (1996), the same year Will made Independence Day (1996).
- #097
The DVD that Robert Colson rents and returns to the video store is Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. When Will Smith opens the case, you see the DVD cover inside, and at the video store he puts it back on the shelf.
- #098
The mannequin that Q blows up in GoldenEye is named Fred. The mannequin in this film is also named Fred.
- #099
Caitlin McHugh is of Scottish descent.
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