Latest news with #IAmLegend
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will Smith reminisces about the ‘career defining' moment that changed his acting forever
'I Am Legend' actor, Will Smith opened up about the advice he received from director, Akiva Goldsman , gave him while on the set of the film, that changed the course of his career. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Will Smith recalled his time working with director, Goldsman on films such as 'Robot', 'Hancock', and 'I Am Legend'. Smith called Goldsman his "individual, greatest cinematic collaborator" before explaining a major the two had on the set of 'I Am Legend'. Smith said that Goldsman told him, "We know we have spectacular special effects, and we're going to have action sequences and Francis is going to do wonderful things with zombies and all of that. I need you to forget about it all." Smith then said that Goldsman asked him, "If we were making a stage play and we didn't have all of those things, how would you keep your performance interesting?" Smith went on to say that he still uses this piece of advice, especially for big-budget movies. 'When you're making these big sci-fi movies,sometimes we can get lost in the spectacle. Akiva refused to allow that to happen,' he said. 'I Am Legend', the most recent adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, starred Smith as Doctor Robert Neville, a virologist who happens to be one of the only humans left in New York City after a viral outbreak that effectively led to a vampire uprising and the end of civilization as it once existed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo The film follows Neville as he tries to not only survive the vampiric clusters, but also to find a cure for the Krippin Virus, which was intended to be a "miracle cure for cancer. " Throughout 'I Am Legend', Neville meets other survivors and eventually decides to give up everything for a chance to saving the world at large. Even though there have been discussions of a sequel to 'I Am Legend' for almost 2 decades, the planned movie has continued to advance steadily despite its time in Development Hell. Smith revealed the initial idea for I Am Legend 2 and what part Michael B. Jordan would have played in the movie back in April. "What we were gonna do was the prequel, so we were gonna do the prequel. And [Akiva Goldsman] was like, 'But wait, what if we make a new version from the alternate ending, where your character is still alive and you know, Michael B. Jordan's character currently is the head of a new settlement?'" Smith explained. "He's not my son. So there's a settlement in Connecticut."
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I Am Legend' writer recalls people walking out of theaters in droves during dog death scene
Writer Akiva Goldsman has had a career full of highs, including winning the Oscar for his script for 2002's A Beautiful Mind and the success of 2005's Cinderella Man — but I Am Legend was less well received. One part of it was really loathed. He remembers people walking out of theaters during a scene of the 2007 film in which one of the main characters, who happens to be a dog, is killed. "I Am Legend never tested well because we killed Sam. People walk out when that dog dies," Goldsman told The Hollywood Reporter. "And I get it. I love dogs. Never more walkouts in anything I've done than when that dog died." The 2007 Will Smith movie is about the sole survivor of a human plague. Everyone else is either dead or infected with a virus that's turned them into monsters. Smith's character, Robert Neville, spends much of the Francis Lawrence-directed film with only his dog, a German Shepherd named Sam. But after his beloved partner is attacked, Robert holds Sam in his arms and even sings to her, before noticing that she's now sick too. Her eyes have become wild and her teeth sharper. When she suddenly begins to growl and bite at him violently, the camera closes in on Robert's face as he strangles the dog. The audience hears the dog struggling and sees a heartbroken Smith looking away from what he's doing. He tears up at the end of the scene, and he still can't look as he moves the dog aside. Commenters on YouTube video of the scene said it "ranks right up there with killing Old Yeller" and that it still had them crying in 2024. Smith told THR that a meeting the movie's team had with the head of the studio behind it, Warner Bros., did not go well either. "We walk in and — almost like from a sitcom — Alan Horn has four giant pictures of the most gorgeous German Shepherds behind his desk," Smith recalled. "He loves dogs. And he is telling us the story that he just lost one of his German Shepherds. We're like, 'Oh no. Oh no.' Akiva says, 'Alan, Will has something he wants to pitch you.'" After the studio — predictably — took issue with the plan to kill Sam off, Smith noted that Goldsman was the one who found a solution. He suggested a "stage play.""And what happens in the shot is you just pan off, and the whole scene is just played on my face," Smith said. "You hear the sound of the paws, the nails scratching on the floor until they slow down and stop. It's super painful, but the audience doesn't have to suffer it." And that's what they did. Even with that brutal scene, I Am Legend was a success at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo, earning $585.4 million globally. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
New York Post
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Most people can't stand seeing this type of violence on the big screen — with 51% turning away: survey
'Not the dog!' Americans believe that it's harder to watch animals being killed on-screen than humans, according to new research. A poll of 1,512 US adults sought to uncover their 'gore line,' or just how much blood and violence Americans can tolerate when it comes to TV and movies. If 'I Am Legend' keeps your attention until 'the dog scene' or you shy away from the first few minutes of the original 'John Wick' movie, you may be part of the 51% who are more likely to turn away when something bad happens to an animal. Just 32% do the same with people. Animal abuse/killing even ranked as the No. 1 hardest scenes to watch (57%), followed closely by child abuse (56%) and domestic violence (43%). According to a survey, most Americans find it harder to watch animals die on screen than humans in movies. Andrii Lysenko – Dr. Chad Walding, Chief Culture Officer and Co-Founder of NativePath, weighs in on how psychological and cultural elements factor into these tendencies. 'The emotional reaction of watching cruelty or abuse to an animal or living being in the media is interesting to explore from a psychological perspective and not so different from how we view the abuse of a human,' said Walding. 'Every weekend, the news reels share a shocking story of animal abuse or animal cruelty; however, our strong emotional response occurs specifically from watching something that is innocent being victimized. Viewers naturally see animals as innocent and/or weak, leading to some serious emotional engagement with the source of the abuse.' Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Though both have tear-jerking sentiment, funerals or memorial services ranked below death beds and final 'goodbyes' ranked above funerals and memorial services (27% vs 15%). And despite every early 2000s TV drama depicting at least one, only 14% believe that car accidents are the most gut-wrenching. TOP 10 HARDEST TYPES OF TV AND MOVIE SCENES TO WATCH Animal abuse/killing – 57% Child abuse – 56% Domestic violence/abuse – 43% Violence/murder – 30% Deathbed/final goodbyes – 27% Shootings – 18% Drug use – 16% Sex/intimacy – 14% Car accidents – 14% War/battles – 13% Conducted by Talker Research, results found that Americans have strong stomachs and have a high tolerance for gore. Slaps, punches and KOs are fair game for the majority of the panel, though 12% start to draw the line at someone being stabbed repeatedly, and 14% of baby boomers agree. One in 10 Americans call it quits if someone's head is being chopped off, whereas many (21%) will take it all the way to the end with someone being chopped into pieces. A little more than two in five (22%) can't even identify their gore line. In fact, 53% of respondents haven't encountered a movie or TV show in the last 12 months that they needed to turn off because it was too gory. 'Media violence is growing and desensitization to violence is becoming more and more obvious,' continued Walding. 'Our cognitive tolerance for gore has begun to influence the media we use and the content of these media. A major factor is simply, the more violent media that is being consumed, and therefore normalized, it reduces the emotional impact of the consumer and becomes more normalized and it works for the media input.'
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Americans have a ruff time watching animal violence on screen
"Not the dog!" Americans believe that it's harder to watch animals being killed on-screen than humans, according to new research. A poll of 1,512 U.S. adults sought to uncover their "gore line," or just how much blood and violence Americans can tolerate when it comes to TV and movies. If "I Am Legend" keeps your attention until "the dog scene" or you shy away from the first few minutes of the original "John Wick" movie, you may be part of the 51% who are more likely to turn away when something bad happens to an animal. Just 32% do the same with people. Animal abuse/killing even ranked as the No. 1 hardest scenes to watch (57%), followed closely by child abuse (56%) and domestic violence (43%). Dr. Chad Walding, Chief Culture Officer and Co-Founder of NativePath, weighs in on how psychological and cultural elements factor into these tendencies. "The emotional reaction of watching cruelty or abuse to an animal or living being in the media is interesting to explore from a psychological perspective and not so different from how we view the abuse of a human," said Walding. "Every weekend, the news reels share a shocking story of animal abuse or animal cruelty; however, our strong emotional response occurs specifically from watching something that is innocent being victimized. Viewers naturally see animals as innocent and/or weak, leading to some serious emotional engagement with the source of the abuse." Though both have tear-jerking sentiment, funerals or memorial services ranked below death beds and final "goodbyes" ranked above funerals and memorial services (27% vs 15%). And despite every early 2000s TV drama depicting at least one, only 14% believe that car accidents are the most gut-wrenching. Conducted by Talker Research, the results found that Americans have strong stomachs and have a high tolerance for gore. Slaps, punches and KOs are fair game for the majority of the panel, though 12% start to draw the line at someone being stabbed repeatedly, and 14% of baby boomers agree. One in 10 Americans call it quits if someone's head is being chopped off, whereas many (21%) will take it all the way to the end with someone being chopped into pieces. A little more than two in five (22%) can't even identify their gore line. In fact, 53% of respondents haven't encountered a movie or TV show in the last 12 months that they needed to turn off because it was too gory. "Media violence is growing and desensitization to violence is becoming more and more obvious," continued Walding. "Our cognitive tolerance for gore has begun to influence the media we use and the content of these media. A major factor is simply, the more violent media that is being consumed, and therefore normalized, it reduces the emotional impact of the consumer and becomes more normalized and it works for the media input." TOP 10HARDEST TYPES OF TV AND MOVIE SCENES TO WATCH Animal abuse/killing - 57%Child abuse - 56%Domestic violence/abuse - 43%Violence/murder - 30%Deathbed/final goodbyes - 27%Shootings - 18%Drug use - 16%Sex/intimacy - 14%Car accidents - 14%War/battles - 13% Survey methodology: Talker Research surveyed 1,512 general population Americans; the survey was administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3, 2025. We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are: Traditional online access panels - where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic - where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan. Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value. Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample. Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes: Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has "deduping" based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access. The post Americans have a ruff time watching animal violence on screen appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Business Wire
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Hunterdon County (NJ) Shines as New Jersey's Film Scene Gains Major Momentum
FLEMINGTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lights, camera… Hunterdon County! This summer, Hunterdon County takes center stage in two major film releases, solidifying its rising status as one of New Jersey's - and among the country's most film-friendly destinations. Echo Valley and Happy Gilmore 2, filmed in Hunterdon County, are debuting on Apple TV+ and Netflix, highlighting the county's booming film scene Share Echo Valley, starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, debuted on Apple TV+. The film was shot almost entirely in Hunterdon County, with cast and crew praising the area's scenic beauty and, more importantly, its exceptional support for production teams. Plum Broke Farm in Delaware Township served as the film's main location while other scenes were shot in Lambertville. The crew stayed at the Chimney Hill Estate Inn and dined at Seargentsville Inn. On Wednesday, July 25, the highly anticipated Happy Gilmore 2 – the sequel to the blockbuster cult classic – will premiere on Netflix. With a dedicated film commission and promotional website housed within the Department of Economic Development & Tourism, Hunterdon County has laid the groundwork for sustainable entertainment industry growth. These high-profile projects are the result of years of thoughtful investment by Hunterdon County to position itself as a top-tier filming location. Likewise, officials say both of these productions have had a strong and lasting economic impact on the area. Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach, who also serves on the New Jersey State Film Commission, is the film commission chair and stated that the county has also created sizzle reels, hosted site tours for location scouts, and actively promoted its unique blend of small-town charm and production readiness. County commissioners say they'll continue to support the push. 'From permitting to on-the-ground logistics, Hunterdon County delivered,' commented Commissioner John Lanza, 'From day one, our message to filmmakers has been clear: if you want to shoot in Hunterdon County, we'll make it work – and make it seamless.' We are drafting a wish list of content inclusions that are ideal and would like to offset the cost with the rooms trade. Once we can place a dollar value on the rooms/F&B credit, I'll supply our list of content items for them to place value on. The result is an increasingly busy production calendar, with Hunterdon County not just making cameos but playing lead roles. The County is on track to join Clinton and several other municipalities in earning the NJ Film Ready certification. As New Jersey's film industry continues to boom – at one point recently leading the nation in total production – Hunterdon County is not only keeping pace, it's setting a tone: creative, cooperative, and open for filming. Past film projects in the county include I Am Legend, As Good As It Gets, and Turbulence. With scenic backdrops ranging from rolling farmland to picturesque main streets, and a local team known for making production smooth and seamless, it's no surprise the spotlight is turning to Hunterdon County. For filmmakers seeking their next perfect scene, this county is ready for action.
