“Legend” is a project that has been in development for years, with several big-name stars attached. In 1997, Ridley Scott was attached to direct the project with Arnold Schwarzenegger to star. However, Warner Bros. decided against the project, because the budget was expected to exceed $100 million and Schwarzenegger’s box office clout had diminished. In 2002, Smith was attached to the film with director Michael Bay, but their collaboration proved unfulfilling. Last fall, WB took greater steps to advance the project, hiring Lawrence as the director and getting Akiva Goldsman (“The Da Vinci Code”) to re-write the script and come on as a producer. Goldsman and Smith had earlier worked together on sci-fi hit “I, Robot,” and are currently working on “Tonight, He Comes,” a project Goldman is producing with James Lassiter, Smith, and Michael Mann.

“Legend” will be produced by Erwin Stoff, David Heyman, and Neal Moritz, in addition to Goldsman. The film is set in post-apocalyptic New York, where Smith’s character is the only healthy man remaining after a virus is released that decimates the population. As night falls, he must battle mutants who have stormed the city.

Smith has several projects in various stages of development, but WB hopes that the filming on “Legend” will begin in early 2007 on location in New York. According to various sources, WB is looking for a co-financier to split the budget, and Village Roadshow is emerging as an early favorite.