It seems like there are a lot of science-fiction fans outhere and Will Smith it’s not so alone. His latest movie, “I Am Legend” has an astonishing debut as the movie opened with $76.5 million earnings at the domestic box office.

Will Smith has a lot of reason to celebrate because “I Am Legend” has just become the biggest December opening ever and a personal best for him.

Smith’s “I Am Legend” surpassed the $72.6 million start for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in 2003, the Time Warner Inc announced.  Last year, Smith’s “The Pursuit of Happyness” led the box office for the same weekend, but earned just 26.5 million dollars.

Based on Matheson’s novel "The Last Man on Earth", “I Am Legend” is set in 2012 and Will Smith is Robert Neville, a scientist and the only survivor of the virus that has destroyed almost the entire population on earth. He is a former Army doctor and is somehow immune to the virus.

The first movie based on Matheson’s novel was "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price and the second one was classic movie "The Omega Man” from 1971. This third version, which cost $100 million, is by far the best yet. The movie relies mostly on special effect: a computer vision of a depopulated New York, covered with weeds and wild animals that are retaking their territories.

The squeaky voiced chipmunks from “Alvin and the Chipmunks'' opened in second place with $45 million. Based on the 1980s TV cartoon starring Jason Lee as Dave and Justin Long as the voice of Alvin, the movie played strongly with family audiences.

The $ 180-million fantasy epic movie, “The Golden Compass,” based on the first volume of the award-winning trilogy "His Dark Materials" by militant atheist Philip Pullman had another disappointing box office revenues over its second weekend.

The last weekend No. 1 has earned only $9 million, while Walt Disney Co.'s “Enchanted'' fell to fourth from second with $6 million.

The Coen brothers' dark crime thriller "No Country for Old Men", about a merciless manhunt in Texas gained the fifth place with $3 million, while "The Perfect Holiday," a romance starring Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union, tallied $2.97 million.

The last for movies in Top 10 were "Fred Claus" wih $2.31 million, "This Christmas" with $2.3 million, "Atonement" with $1.85 million and "August Rush" with $1.79 million.

Depicting the story of a young writer who irreversibly changes the lives of her sister and her sweetheart by accusing him of a crime he didn’t commit, the story of “Atonement” charmed the film critics. The movie received seven nods for the Golden Globe, which will take place on January 13 in Beverly Hills.