Will Smith's 'I am Legend'

Will Smith stars as Robert Neville [image copyright © 2007 Warner Bros. Pictures]

"I Am Legend", the sci-fi vampire drama about the last survivor of a planetwide plague opened with a record-breaking $76.5 million, the biggest December opening ever and a personal best for Smith. It could beat the $72.6 million debut of "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in 2003, according to Warner Bros.' estimates.

For record, the film also stands out as the highest grossing film version of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name. The two earlier versions are 1964's 'The Last Man on Earth', and 1971's 'The Omega Man', starring Charlton Heston. "I am Legend" stars Will Smith as a military virologist believed to be the sole survivor of a human-made virus - a role originally created in the 1990s for Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Ridley Scott directing.

Will Smith had a perfect year of success. His last three movies were all of different genres — an action flick ("I am Legend"), a melodrama ("In Pursuit of Happyness" which was released in the same weekend last year) and a romantic comedy ("Hitch") — and all three went on to cruise well past $100 million with ease (well... 'Legend' will certainly cruise past that mark within a day or two).

The film is directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich. The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

Official Site: iamlegend.com.