Goldsman took on the project, as he admired the second "I Am Legend" film adaptation, "The Omega Man". A rewrite was done to distance the project from the other zombie films inspired by the novel, as well as from the recently released "28 Days Later," although Goldsman was inspired by the scenes of a deserted London in the British horror film to create the scenes of a deserted New York City. A 40-page scene-by-scene outline of the film was developed by May 2006. When delays occurred on Smith's film "Hancock", which was scheduled for 2007, it was proposed to switch the actor's films. This meant filming would have to begin in 16 weeks; production was given a green light, using Goldsman's script and the outline. Elements from Protosevich's script were introduced, while the crew consulted with experts on infectious diseases and solitary confinement. Rewrites continued throughout filming, because of Smith's improvisational skills and Lawrence's preference to keep various scenes silent. The director had watched Jane Campion's film "The Piano" with a low volume so as to not disturb his newborn son, and realized that silence could be very effective cinema.