I Am Legend

Guillermo del Toro, Will Smith's first choice, turned down the offer to direct this film so he could make Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).

Warner Bros. Pictures has owned the rights to the book since the 1970s. The studio first attempted adapting it was as The Omega Man (1971) with director Boris Sagal, starring Charlton Heston. Then as 'I Am Legend' with director Ridley Scott, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which fell through when the production went over-budget. And then in 2002, Michael Bay was set to direct Will Smith, but they decided to make Bad Boys II (2003) instead.

The scenes at the Brooklyn Bridge involved over 1000 extras and various military vehicles and aircraft.

Much of this film was shot on location in New York City's Washington Square Park during fall and winter 2006-2007, causing holiday decorations to be taken down and replaced tumultuously for over three months.

The studio spent an estimated $5,000,000 for a 6 night shoot in New York involving the Brooklyn Bridge. To film in this location, the producers needed the approval of up to 14 government agencies. The producers had to bring in a crew of 250, plus 1,000 extras, including 160 members of the National Guard in full combat gear.

The film was green-lit without a script.

Warner Brothers initially opposed filming in New York because of costs and logistical challenges. However, Michael Tadross, a veteran New York production manager got the city to approve closing the Grand Central viaduct, several blocks of Fifth Avenue and Washington Square Park, albeit at night and on weekends, between September 2006 and April 2007.

Plants were transported via trucks from Florida to dress up the city streets as if weeds had overtaken them.

The noise from the special effects explosions used in the scenes along the East River interrupted voice recording on the Nickelodeon children's show, "The Wonder Pets" (2006), which has its production offices one block from where shooting of ‘I Am Legend’ took place.

In the scene in Times Square, there is a billboard for the fictional "Superman/Batman" movie, slated to open 5/15/10. Additionally, in the video store, there are movie posters for "Green Lantern" and "Teen Titans". All of these properties are from DC Comics, which is owned by Warner Brothers, the studio producing the movie, and either are or at one time potential upcoming releases.

In the film, Will Smith's character holds up a CD calling it "...the best album ever made." The album is Bob Marley's "Legend."

At the New York premier, Will Smith apologized for the disruption shooting the movie caused to the city residents. He said, "I would like to issue a public apology to the citizens of New York. There were a couple of streets we had to close off during the filming of I Am Legend. I am very sorry. People were kind of upset with me."

Release prints were delivered to theaters with the fake title 'Blood Allies'.

Will Smith grew so enamored of his canine co-star, Abby, that he tried to adopt her when the shooting was finished, but the dog's trainer could not be persuaded to give her up.

In the first flashback sequence, when Neville is gathering his family to escape the island, one of the soldiers escorting him makes the statement, "can't get used to the new regs". This is in reference to Neville not wearing a hat (or "cover") while in outdoors in uniform, a strictly enforced regulation in the past military uniform and dress code (until sometime around 2009, apparently).