One of my favorite horror novellas of all time happens to be the timeless I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. I picked it up many, many years ago and it remains one of my stand bys just incase I want the bejebus scared out of me. Written in 1954, it details the story of Robert Neville who just so happens to be the last man on Earth. He’s not alone, a mysterious plague has turned everyone else into vampires. He was saved by an immunity to the plague, and he finds himself battling the undead and his own psyche. A horribly moving tale, with a fantastic ending.

Some time back I made mention of a new I Am Legend production featuring Philly’s own Will Smith. Well the teaser trailer has dropped over at Apple.com and it’s worth a look. This movie has been in development hell for quite some time, with stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger & Tom Cruise previously attached. Helmed by Constantine director Francis Lawrence, this one looks intense. The only dagger is that we have to wait until Christmas to see this one.

The imagery is stark, and there are some excellent exteriors of a decimated New York with wild animals and abandoned cars. There’s a shot that features Smith’s character driving golf balls off of a SR-71 on the deck of the Interpid. And then there’s the tagline “The Last Man on Earth … Is Not Alone”. Let’s hope that this lives up to the hype, because there will be some strong vampire competition this year with the film adaptations of 30 Days of Night (a stellar graphic novel BTW).

Will Smith … check
Vampires … check
Post Apocalyptic Wasteland … check

I’m so there on opening weekend.