I Am Legend was a thrilling sci-fi film where a failed vaccine nearly ends humanity. But with conflicting sources, what year did the film take place?
I Am Legend was a film starring Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, a man living in New York City after a cure for cancer turned the population into vampiric mutants. As seemingly the last man on Earth, he fought to find a cure and maintain his humanity. But because of the film’s pandemic circumstances, the film made the rounds during the real-life pandemic, with many claiming the film took place in 2021. However, that is far from the case.
Based on Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name, the film changed the vampires that took over the world into mutants, which helped to make the fear much more tangible. However, because of the realism that permeated, its premise was used as a vehicle to spread misinformation during the pandemic. That said, the film, as shown in the script, was actually set in 2012 rather than 2021.
Initially, the vaccine, later dubbed the Krippen Virus, was manufactured by manipulating a strain of measles. Although it was said to be a cure for cancer, it actually mutated and spread into both an airborne and contact strain. The former eventually escaped its containment in 2009 and spread across Manhattan and the world. The effects killed or mutated most of the population, and only a few were left immune, including dogs. Dr. Neville then spent three years trying to reverse the damage done with minimal progress as the host rats exposed to the virus either changed or died.
As Neville explored the effects of each test subject, he recorded his findings and dated them, with the film’s first test happening on September 5, 2012. While it may be easy to confuse the years because it’s only a matter of flipping some numbers, the misinformation would only create false fears in those that hadn’t seen the film when it was released, especially in a world dealing with a virus, as well. However, despite not happening in 2021, I Am Legend did teach viewers an essential lesson in perseverance against unbeatable odds.
Dr. Neville nearly lost everything when the outbreak hit his home. But he never stopped fighting for the memory of his loved ones and wouldn’t rest until he achieved the result he what. Because of this, he effectively saved the world against a disease that struck fast and hard against humanity. And considering that this was all accomplished nearly a decade ago in real-time is a testament to what people can do in stressful scenarios.
I Am Legend may be a film that could potentially feel more realistic than ever, all things considered. But while it’s easy to spread misinformation to make a thrilling movie feel more recent than it is, it still paralleled humanity’s ability to stand against almost certain defeat. So, regardless of when it happens, I Am Legend proved that misinformation doesn’t lessen the impact of overcoming the obstacles placed in front of its characters.
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