‘I Am Legend’ writer recalls people walking out during dog death scene

The writer Akiva Goldsman has had a career full of summits, in particular by winning the Oscar for his scenario for 2002 A beautiful spirit and the success of 2005 Cinderella man – but I am legend was less well received. Part of this was really hated.

He remembers that people came out of theaters during a scene from the 2007 film in which one of the main characters, who happens to be a dog, is killed.

“I am the legend I have never tested well because we killed Sam. People go out when this dog dies, “said Goldsman The Hollywood Reporter. “And I understand. I love dogs. Never more disengagement in everything I have done than when this dog is dead.”

The film Will Smith 2007 talks about the only survivor of a human plague. Everyone is dead or infected with a virus that transformed them into monsters.

The character of Smith, Robert Neville, spends a large part of the film led by Francis Lawrence 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, before noticing that she is now sick too. His eyes have become wild and sharper teeth. When she suddenly starts to growl and bite him violently, the camera gets closer to Robert’s face as he strangles the dog.

The public hears the dog in difficulty and sees a broken smith by turning his eyes from what he does. He is tearing himself apart at the end of the scene, and he still can’t look when he moves the dog aside.

Commentators on the YouTube video of the scene said that he “ranks right up there with killing old yeller” and that he was still crying in 2024.

Smith said THR That a meeting that the film of the film had with the head of the studio behind him, Warner Bros., did not go well either.

“We are entering and – almost like a sitcom – Alan Horn has four giant photos of the most beautiful German shepherds behind his desk,” recalls Smith. “He loves dogs. And he tells us the story he has just lost one of his German shepherds. We say to ourselves:” Oh no. Oh no. “Akiva says,” Alan, Will has something he wants to present to you. ” “”

After the studio – predictable – led the plan to kill Sam, Smith noted that Goldsman was the one who found a solution. He suggested a “play”.

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“And what’s going on in the photo is that you just breaded yourself up, and the whole scene is just played on my face,” said Smith. “You hear the sound of the legs, the nails scraping on the floor until they slow down and stop. It’s super painful, but the public does not have to suffer.”

And that’s what they did.

Even with this brutal scene, I am legend Was a box office success, according to the Mojo box office, winning $ 585.4 million worldwide.