I Am Upset…
I'm sure this isn't news to many of you, but I've just heard confirmation that one of my very favourite sci-fi/horror works is to get a right royal Hollywood fucking…
Yes folks, Richard Matheson's seminal 1954 novel I am Legend is to be "re-imagined" (shudder) as a vehicle for…excuse me while I start to weep tears of blood…Will fucking Smith!
Cinema Blend's Josh Tyler has more:
The emotional rollercoaster ride that is the development process of I Am Legend continues. A few days ago we got good news that the lame, story destroying, secondary character named "Phil" who was rumored to be inserted into the story to make a part for Johnny Depp was in fact, not in the movie at all. But now I'm back to being totally depressed about the movie again.
Why? AICN is carrying a rumor which says that they've re-imagined the original post-apocalyptic script for the film to turn it into the lame story of the last doctor left behind after Manhattan is infected with a plague. That's right, not the world. Just Manhattan. Suddenly, instead of being the soul searching, heart-wrenching story of the last, lonely man on earth it's "Escape From Manhattan" staring a stethoscope wearing version of Snake Pliskin.
If this is true, just end me right now. It does however jive with the other rumors we've heard, about how they're removing all the intelligence from the genetically deformed humans Will Smith's character is supposed to be fighting to turn them into dumbed down, idiot zombies. Actually, maybe this isn't "Escape From Manhattan", it's starting to sound more like Resident Evil.
I don't want to live.
Ordinarily I can (relatively) happily ignore wretched cinematic adaptations of novels/comic books I hold dear, but there's something about the idea of a movie tie-in reprint featuring a grimacing, Uzi-wielding Wilbert Smith that makes me want to puke for the rest of the afternoon and early evening.
I – am – depressed.
October 13, 2006
2 responses to I Am Upset…
Sad news indeed, It’s a shame too as i do like a good ‘last man left on earth’ movie. My favourite being ‘the Quiet Earth’ which doesn’t star Will Smith.
Did you know will Smith’s wife sings in a metal band. They sound like ‘korn’. I don’t know how the ‘fresh prince’ feels about that, he strikes me as more of a Megadeth fan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_Wisdom
Never seen The Quiet Earth devo, but I’ve added it to my list of “100 Movies not Featuring Will Smith to see Before I Die”.
Byt the way, when I told a guy at work about I am Legend he said “Christ! He [WS] has already fucked up Asimov, and now he’s turning his hand to fucking up Matheson!”
Quiet.