They couldn't find anyone better???

[Trazalca]

NOOOOO!!!! :romy: :romy: :romy:

From Cinescape News-

Warner Bros. has signed Will Smith to a pay-or-play deal to star in I AM LEGEND. Adapted from Richard Matheson's novel, the story set in post-apocalyptic New York, centers on the last healthy man following the release of a virus that decimates the population. To survive, he must battle mutants that wreak havoc during the night.
Akiva Goldsman rewrote a script by Mark Protosevich. Francis Lawrence will direct. Akiva Goldsman, Erwin Stoff, David Heyman and Neal Moritz will produce.

This sucks. And I mean sucks BAD.
We're gonna be treated to yet another exceptional story that fans
have been waiting to see on the big screen with panache, style and no-holds-barred horror,
and what do we get? The freakin' Fresh Prince as hero.

I remember reading the script online 4 years ago.

The images it provided were burned into my imagination.
Clearly this requires ACTING on a level that includes SUBTLETY.
And Mr. Smith has yet to display ANY hint of such a skill throughout
any of his films in the last, well, since EVER.

Wasn't Josh Lucas available? Bruce Campbell?
Tim Robbins? Phillip Seymour Hoffman? William H. Macy?
What about Tim Roth? Eric Stoltz? Paul Giamatti?
Joe Morton? Mos Def? Were these people too busy for an audition?
Couldn't they have optioned it to any of them?
Couldn't we option to all band together and pay Will Smith NOT to play the role?
It would be for the betterment of all movie-watching mankind,
and preserve the integrity of the brilliant story.

Will Smith has been looking for a hero playing vehicle to star in for years.
And I mean since the Matrix first came out. It's almost as sad a concept
as Nic Cage being Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider.

They ruined AvP, and now this. Great. Just great.
Someone on the comments board for this article NAILED IT with the following:

From sharpe95th's post:

Plot of movie;

Smith opens door.

Mutants appear standing in droves outside a la Dawn of the Dead.

Smith says: "Aw hell no."

Smith caves some heads in uttering " Aw no you didn't..."

Smith wins looking into horizon with dawn approaching.

The end.


This could NOT have been said any better.

:angry :angry :angry :angry :angry

[kah]

~pats Traz on the back~ There, there. It'll all be ok.

Back to reality- ok, no, it really won't. I'll tell you why. You know the thread we have in the General Movie Forum about remakes and sequels? Where we discussed the fact that Hollywood doesn't take chances anymore? That is the reason they want Will Smith in this movie. Not because he's right for the part, and not because he can make it look like he's right for it. No, they want him because he sells lots of movie tickets on Fourth of July weekend. I don't know the story this is telling, but I can tell you, if it used to be a horror story, now it's an action flick. And it'll probably make more money that way. As much as I like Hoffman and Giamatti and Macy, they don't do that well as the lead character as far as making a movie gads of money. Will Smith is the black Tom Cruise, as far as Hollywood is concerned. Too bad he doesn't have the same talent. Well, I suppose he makes up for it in SANITY!! Anyways, I am digressing.

[Scotia]

Kah is right. This is just another star driven vehicle aimed at a crowd who likey never read a word of Richard Matheson. Any resemblance to the source material will be coincidental, I'm sure. Unfortunately, as long as Smith can "jiggy" up influential sci fi novels (re: I, Robot) then Hollywood will continue to smile on him. And shit on us.

[Jakester]

Hey wasn't it supposed to be Ahnuld, once upon a time?

[Trazalca]

Hey wasn't it supposed to be Ahnuld, once upon a time?

Yes it was. For a LONG time.
But thanks to his tenure as Gov of Cali, plans to have him were scrapped.
There would've been gripes for that choice too,
but his comic timing would've been far less garish that Will's
by comparison.

Imagine Lord of the Rings, as directed by Robin Williams,
and you can imagine the sick feeling I have in my gut for this one. :romy:

[Lavoruis]

That would funnier than hell:lol:

[scrrr]

"Akiva Goldsman rewrote a script"

I've seen this one before ("I, Robot" I believe). What Akiva does is "Taylor the script to suit Mr. Smith".

In the olden days, an actor would get a script and play the character assigned to him. In the case of Will Smith (and undoubtedly a lot of other A-list actors), the character in the script is written in order to fit the range of the actor.

I expect wisecracks in this movie, and also Will's trademark "Yo wat, am I the fool here?"-look.

Wasn't Tim Robbins available?

[spooky_mulder]

Indeed wasn't anybody at al available. Keep Will Smith in the comedy and action packed, but low on plot type movies. That is what he does and when he does them they turn out all right. Now that hollywood has decided that most people will have prolly never heard of this idea before, they figure they can throw him in there and try to make it all Smith.

Not going to be on my list of movies to see.

[tstone]

Huh.

You know, I can't hate on Big Will nearly as much. Seeing his name on it doesn't scare me nearly as much as seeing Akiva Goldman. But I'll wait until the reviews are in before making a call.

I am fussy, however. Will not see X-Men 3 in theaters.