10 Things Didn't Know About Night Of The Living Dead
5. The 'I Am Legend' Influence
George A. Romero cites the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson as a significant influence on his work. In the book, Robert Neville spends his days adapting to a world in which he may be the last living human being. However, at night the world is ruled by marauding vampires and Neville must barricade himself in the house he has turned into a fortress. It truly is like a blueprint for the whole zombie apocalypse genre.
The influence on George’s 1968 film becomes clearer when watching the first movie adaptation of I Am Legend, entitled The Last Man on Earth, released in 1964 and starring the brilliant Vincent Price. The book would go on to be adapted again as Omega Man (1971), I Am Omega (2007) and of course I Am Legend (2007) starring Will Smith. It is likely that the makers of those later adaptations may have taken some inspiration from Romero’s work when shooting their movies.
Unfortunately, Matheson did not think much of Night of the Living Dead, calling it “kind of cornball”.