The 2007 American post-apocalyptic action thriller film I Am Legend is partially inspired on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name. The movie, which was directed by Francis Lawrence and starred Will Smith as US Army virologist Robert Neville, was written by Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich. The story takes place in New York City following the mass extinction of humans due to a virus that was first discovered as a cancer treatment. Neville is the last person alive in the city aside from nocturnal mutants. Since he is immune to the infection, Neville attempts to protect himself from the hostile mutants while researching a cure. It is the third full-length motion picture adaptation of Matheson’s book, after The Omega Man (1971) and The Last Man on Earth (1964).

Warner Bros. began developing I Am Legend in 1994, and various actors and directors were attached to the project, though production was delayed due to budgetary concerns related to the script. Production began in 2006 in New York City, filming mainly on location in the city, including a $5 million scenetthe Brooklyn Bridge.

I Am Legend was released on December 14, 2007, in the United States and Canada, and opened to the largest-ever box office (not adjusted for inflation) for a non-Christmas film released in the U.S. in December, and was the seventh-highest grossing film of 2007, earning $256 million domestically and $329 million internationally, for a total of $585 million. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with Smith’s performance being singled out for praise; criticism focused on its divergences from the novel, particularly the ending.