"I Am Legend" is a 2007 American post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence, starring Will Smith. The movie is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name. The story takes place in a world that has been devastated by a virus that turns people into mutated, vampire-like creatures. The movie follows the journey of Robert Neville (played by Will Smith), a scientist who finds himself the last human survivor in New York City.