11.25.08: I Am Legend sequel-ized, Terminator rumors cleared up, and more

I AM LEGEND, TOO

So despite three attempts (The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, I Am Legend) there has never been a completely accurate adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend (although Last Man... came closest). To SPOIL THE ENDING of the excellent book, which you should absolutely read, our "hero" Robert Neville is made to realize that in a world populated almost entirely by vampires, he – the human – is the odd-man out, and that through his murderous actions he has become the vampires' boogeyman – "I am legend," he says.  END SPOILERS.  There are a ton of other changes made to the various film adaptations, too, but failing to be faithful to the novel's ending and title seems the most egregious flaw. (Side note: this is why I have no issues whatsoever with the alleged change to the ending of Watchmen, which would seem to maintain the intent if not the exact mechanics of the graphic novel's ending.) While we hold out hope for a fully faithful adaptation sometime around 2020 or so, news on the sequel to the Will Smith version has popped up over at Aint It Cool.  For a while the sequel was actually going to be a prequel, which – as those of you who have seen I Am Legend will understand – is really the only logical way to include the One True Movie Star.  But now it's going to be a proper sequel, which creates some significant plotting difficulties.

'BUTTON' BUZZ IN TURNAROUND

After a few disastrous 30-minute industry screenings, the buzz on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is beginning to change for the positive. Variety's Todd McCarthy raves that it "represents a richly satisfying serving of deep-dish Hollywood storytelling,"  while also speculating that the film's "remote" and "cold" feeling may be due to its having been shot on HD video rather than "warm" film. /Film has a collection of additional early reviews.

ODDS AND ENDS

• It's a marriage that makes so much sense, it's a wonder no one has thought of it before: Steven Seagal and Reality TV.  Stevel Seagal: Lawman reveals that the the zaftig ponytailed B-movie mainstay has also been "...a fully commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish County Sheriff's Office for nearly two decades. One of his stints found him assisting with recovery efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005... (the show) also will document his life off the beat, including his musical and philanthropic activities in the Big Easy." Um... musical activities? (Variety)

• If you care enough about Terminator Salvation to be aware of several pernicious rumors surrounding the film – including the one in which John Conner gets killed and then resurrected in machine form – then you should check out this Total Film interview with director McG, which sets things straight.

• Keanu Reeves + David Fincher = a movie about a chef? Apparently so. (Production Weekly via /Film)

• Twilight haters have taken to writing spoilers for the series on movie posters in the NYC subway.  Do not click if you want to remain pure. (Slightly NSFW) (via Cinematical)

• io9 has the details on one indie director's experiment with "open source" filmmaking.  Soloman Rothman allowed anyone interested to contribute thoughts on script, casting, locations and more for his low-budget sci-fi flick Jathia's Wager.  The trailer looks awful, but hey, maybe they shot the featured scene from a few more angles and it just needs some editing. Or maybe not.  Regardless, it's a noble curious experiment.