Producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldsman attends the "I Am Legend" premiere at the Moderno Cinema January 9, 2008 in Rome, Italy.
(Picture: Getty Images)There have been many Covid-19 vaccine conspiracy debates and questions floating around. But a new theory involving the 2007 sci-fi movie I Am Legend, starring Will Smith has become a new topic of discussion, to which a screenwriter for the film shut it down.
On Monday, Akiva Goldsman, the screenwriter in question, anti-vaccine propaganda using the fictitious film starring Smith as grounds for not getting the jabs was refuted 14 years later.
In the film, people are turned into zombies by a genetically reprogrammed virus, not a vaccine.
“Oh. My. God. It’s a movie. I made that up. It’s. Not. Real,” Goldsman tweeted, whose script with fellow screenwriter Mark Protosevich was based on a novel by Richard Matheson in 1954 with the same name.
Oh. My. God. It’s a movie. I made that up. It’s. Not. Real.
— Akiva Goldsman (@AkivaGoldsman) August 9, 2021
As expressed by Goldsman himself, the pandemic in the movie was caused by a reprogrammed virus, not a vaccine. Again, the film is a work of fiction, not fact.
People in the comments of his post who understand that this is just a Hollywood portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world agreed with his sentiments.
“People using a movie plot to claim nonsense about vaccines is the stupidity we are dealing with. And this is the real world ?! #GoGrabThatJab #VaccinesSaveLives #VacciNation,” someone wrote.
“Some anti-vaxxers are seriously avoiding the vaccine because they’re worried about a fictional zombie film,” another added.
Check out some other responses below.
Not the antivaxxers dragging the screenwriter of I Am Legend into their mess!!! https://t.co/xvd0CgP3cy
— @PiaGlenn (@PiaGlenn) August 10, 2021
I’m beginning to think we’re not up to the task of competing globally in the 21st century. https://t.co/BjlG8dipw8
— Michael Miles (TM) (@_m_miles) August 10, 2021
We are doomed https://t.co/y2Z8srlhIp
— Mike (@MikeyFourTweets) August 10, 2021
This is really wild. 💀💀💀 https://t.co/Q7qY1esstW
— Chass (@PEARLfectChassi) August 10, 2021
When the screenwriter of I am Legend has to step up and say the fictional scenarios of vaccines resulting in zombies in the movie is, well, fiction.... https://t.co/jjPoKp2Ro5
— Aparna Nair (@DisabilityStor1) August 9, 2021
Time magazine’s Washington correspondent, Vera Bergengruen, also took to Twitter to post a paragraph about someone who seemingly had concerns about the vaccine over the conspiracy.
I’m sorry, what? https://t.co/KGCWsuqDtp pic.twitter.com/CF0qqqCOoG
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) August 9, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details the possible effects of the Covid-19 vaccination on its website, including headaches, chills, and fevers.
Turning into a zombie is not among them, regardless of some people’s opinions.
