‘I Am Legend’ screenwriter debunks vaccine conspiracy theory

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.

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.

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.

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.