I am Legend (Alternative Ending)

[Fallen Seraph]

Posted this on the I am Legend thread, but figured it deserved its own thread.

There was apparently a alternative ending they had made that was scrapped at the last second... It really, really annoys me that they did it, since while not entirely faithful, is atleast closer to the real-thing:

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=39264&cat=2

That is the alternative ending.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

You sure your link is right? I'm getting a 404.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

There we go just needed to copy it again, works now

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Okay, I definetely like this ending better than the theatrical one.

 

[Klaus]

Okay, I definetely like this ending better than the theatrical one.

Still not as good as the original story, but closer.

 

[RangerWickett]

As I've said in some other threads, given what was already in the movie, my preferred ending would go like this:

Neville wheels out the woman, the monsters frenzy around him but the one in charge stops them as Neville gives the injection to the woman to awaken her. There's still the tender loving moment between the two monsters, and the one in charge picks up his woman to carry her off. The music grows ominous as the leader barks to his warriors.

Neville, emotionally crushed, looks over at the pictures of all the 'monsters' he killed, and he realizes he was killing people. He looks back at the leader and meets his eyes, but doesn't have to say anything (because Will Smith's a damned fine actor) to convey his remorse. Then the leader walks away, and his warriors grab Neville.

The camera cuts to the horrified Brazilian woman as she watches Neville be bitten and mangled. She hides her head and we just hear Neville's brief screams before silence. The woman nervously looks up and sees one of the warriors watching her through the glass, but then he turns away and helps his buddies carry away Neville's body. They head outside, and a moment later there are cheers from all the creatures outside the building as they celebrate the defeat of the 'monster.' It's frightening and despairing, but the woman and child are safe.

The scene fades, and then the woman gives a voice-over. We see the sun rising over the city, and the woman and child emerging from the ruins of the house. As they head for the car and leave the city, the voice-over repeats part of Neville's daily message, but changes it, saying that she will seek survivors, but that they must hide now, for the world has been claimed by a new people, and now it is the survivors who are the horror that carries you away while you sleep. In this world of monsters, it is mankind who is the legend.

 

[Klaus]

Too convoluted.

The warriors would take Neville in, and we get a glimpse that the vampires have established their own society. Neville is in a cage, waiting execution, and sees vampire men, women and children, passing by and sneering at them. Neville then realises the *he* is now the exception. Lady Vampire shows up stealthily and gives Neville a flask of rat poison (or something to that effect) saying that they plan to execute him publicly at sundown. Neville takes the flask from her and looks it over. As he does so, he realizes that his time and that of mankind has passed. The world now belonged to *them*. *They* are now the normals, as normality is determined by the majority. Neville drinks the poison, and as he closes his eyes, he mumbles... "now *I* am the monster... I... am legend...".

Basically, the book ending.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Better but the movie should have established a ghouls (I refuse to call the vampires) society from the get go. Then having Nevelle discover that he was the villian of the story.

 

[RangerWickett]

Too convoluted.

The warriors would take Neville in, and we get a glimpse that the vampires have established their own society. Neville is in a cage, waiting execution, and sees vampire men, women and children, passing by and sneering at them. Neville then realises the *he* is now the exception. Lady Vampire shows up stealthily and gives Neville a flask of rat poison (or something to that effect) saying that they plan to execute him publicly at sundown. Neville takes the flask from her and looks it over. As he does so, he realizes that his time and that of mankind has passed. The world now belonged to *them*. *They* are now the normals, as normality is determined by the majority. Neville drinks the poison, and as he closes his eyes, he mumbles... "now *I* am the monster... I... am legend...".

Basically, the book ending.

Well yeah, the book is a better story, but we need a somewhat happy ending for an American Hollywood blockbuster. My proposal is a middle ground, maintaining the overall thrust of the book, while allowing a sympathetic 'human' character to survive. Also, I was working from the assumption that we were only allowed to change stuff a little. If I were making the movie from scratch, well, a lot would change.

 

[Klaus]

Well yeah, the book is a better story, but we need a somewhat happy ending for an American Hollywood blockbuster. My proposal is a middle ground, maintaining the overall thrust of the book, while allowing a sympathetic 'human' character to survive. Also, I was working from the assumption that we were only allowed to change stuff a little. If I were making the movie from scratch, well, a lot would change.

Why does a blockbuster need a happy ending? Gladiator, Braveheart (just to name a few) had bittersweet endings *at best*. Not to mention downright downer movies like Dawn of the Dead.