Will Smith's 'I Am Legend' screenwriter Akiva Goldsman busts 'made-up' vaccine myth

The post-apocalyptic thriller I Am Legend has recently made news in a brewing conversation among the vaccine-hesitant crowd, prompting its screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman, to bust the myth stating the movie's plot is entirely fictional. The 2007 Will Smith starrer, co-written by Akiva, has raised anti-vaccine sentiment since the first COVID-19 vaccines were authorized in 2020. The writer, expressing disbelief at people's reaction, has mentioned that I Am Legend is a pure fantasy after a source stated their vaccine fear arose out of the film's events. 

Based on the 1954 novel of the same name, the movie showcases an attempt to engineer the measles virus into a cancer cure that goes awry, that infects the majority of humankind, turning people into zombie-vampire hybrids. However, vaccines do not factor into the plot.

I Am Legend screenwriter busts misinformation inspired by film 

Akiva weighed in on a conversation revolving around his work on Tuesday. An unknown source made a bizarre claim stating, "One employee [at Metro Optics Eyewear] said she was concerned because she thought a vaccine had caused the characters in the film I Am Legend to turn into zombies," the Times story reads. "People opposed to vaccines have circulated that claim about the movie's plot widely on social media. But the plague that turned people into zombies in the movie was caused by a genetically reprogrammed virus, not by a vaccine."

This tweet made Akiva go into a frenzy as he replied, "Oh. My. God. It’s a movie. I made that up. It’s. Not. Real."

Ever since the rumours spread like wildfire, various fact checks have been published as social media users circulated claims that a "vaccine" had zombified the characters in the film. 

Vaccines don't cause Zombie-like reactions 

As for a fact check, vaccines have not caused any zombie-like reactions or symptoms in inoculated people. Countless reports conducted in the last year show that vaccination against COVID-19 is the best defence against severe illness or death from the disease.

The Will Smith starrer directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Goldsman and Mark Protosevich showcased the star as Robert Neville, a former U.S. Army virologist who believed himself to be the last man standing after the whole humankind mutated into zombie-like creatures. The movie stated that the zombies were created as a result of a genetically engineered measles virus that was used to treat cancer. 

In a talk show appearance last year, Will urged fans to practice safety measures when it comes to COVID-19. Mentioning the movie, he jokingly stated, "I made I Am Legend, so I feel responsible for a lot of the misinformation."

(IMAGE- AP)