He Is Legend
Will Smith, that is. His latest movie is already a roaring success with an estimated $76.5 million in box office for the first weekend of its release. I Am Legend, based on the novel by Richard Matheson is getting enormous crowds pretty much wherever it is shown according to these numbers.
LOS ANGELES - For the last man on Earth, Will Smith sure has a lot of friends. The Warner Bros. tale "I Am Legend," starring Smith as a plague survivor who may be the last living human, debuted with $76.5 million, the biggest December opening ever and a personal best for one of Hollywood's top box-office champs, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"It's no wonder Will Smith feels so lonely. Everyone else on Earth is in the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
Alvin and the Chipmunks came in second with some $45 million. Note to Hollywood. This is how you make hits - not by trying to pump propaganda out, but by making entertainment.
For those of you who are not familiar with Matheson's classic, which is an old favorite of mine, there is good news. You can read the first 25 or so pages at Google Books. Then you can rush to buy it to see how it ends.
By Maggie, Sunday, 16 December , 2007 @ 4:02 pm
Gaius -
I’ve never read the Matheson book, but will put it on my list. I am, however, a fan since childhood of “The Omega Man” with Chuck Heston.
With new movie tech I imagine “I Am Legend” is a goodie. I was planning on heading out today to see it … Until the blizzard hit NE Ohio! Will try to get out this week to make up for it.
By Mwalimu Daudi, Sunday, 16 December , 2007 @ 4:43 pm
For me, it will be hard for I Am Legend to displace The Omega Man with Charlton Heston and the gorgeous Rosalind Cash. But this might be the one and only movie that I shell out my hard-earned dollars to go see in the theater.