After being rumored for years, it appears as though the I Am Legend sequel is finally real. It stars Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan, and will lean into the 1954 Richard Matheson novel it is based on.
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The original film ended on a seemingly fatal note, with Smith’s virologist character sacrificing himself to save his daughter and her friend. But according to producer Akiva Goldsman, the sequel will use a different ending from the first film that shows Neville living to tell the tale.
Deadline: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan Star in I Am Legend Sequel
According to Deadline, and a joint Instagram post by Smith and Jordan, the pair will star in an I Am Legend sequel. The Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who adapted Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel for the original film, is set to return as writer and producer of the new sequel.
The 2007 blockbuster was based on the novel and featured Will Smith as virologist Robert Neville, who searches for a cure for a deadly virus that turns people into bloodthirsty zombies. The film opened at the top of the box office and went on to earn more than $585 million worldwide.
A sequel has been in the works for a while now, and now, it’s being officially greenlit. The movie will be a follow-up to the 2007 blockbuster and will focus on a character that was not featured in the original.
As a fan of the original film, I have to say that I am a little apprehensive about this news. The first film ended with Smith’s character, who was the sole survivor in New York, sacrificing himself to save two others from the virus, promising that they would find a cure and escape the city safely.
However, a special edition DVD version of the movie featured an alternate ending that was more optimistic and happier than what fans saw in theaters. It was a version that showed Neville reconciling with the fact that the creatures he feared were actually intelligent, sentient beings that needed to be treated as such.
One can safely assume that the sequel will incorporate this alternate ending into its storyline, offering an intriguing concept to explore. There’s no telling if the new movie will have a completely different plot or just include the alternate ending in flashbacks, but it looks like we’ll get to see how this all plays out.
The sequel is being penned by Akiva Goldsman, who adapted the Richard Matheson novel for the original film with Mark Protosevich and is set to return as writer and producer of this new movie. This is not the first time Goldsman has worked with Warner Bros, as he also produced the original and was the executive producer of Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 and Deep Blue Sea.
The Wrap: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan Star in I Am Legend Sequel
The original 2007 film I Am Legend was an absolute hit, and it’s about to get a sequel. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic New York City, where a plague kills off most of humanity. Smith plays virologist Robert Neville, who struggles to survive on his own as he searches for a cure.
It’s no secret that Will Smith is a huge fan of sci-fi movies, and I Am Legend is definitely one of his favorites. The film, which based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, centers around an outbreak that turns humans into blood-thirsty, zombie-like creatures, only able to come out at night.
Now, 15 years later, it looks like we’ll be getting a follow-up to the film, and it’s going to star Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan.
According to Deadline, the I Am Legend sequel is currently in development at Warner Bros., with Oscar-winning writer Akiva Goldsman — who adapted the 1954 novel for the 2007 blockbuster — returning to write the script. Meanwhile, Creed and Black Panther star Jordan will be producing via his own production company Outlier Society.
While we don’t have much information on the plot of I Am Legend 2 yet, it seems like Goldsman and Jordan have a good plan in place. This time, they’ll be making a sequel that follows the alternate ending of the original film.
In that ending, the surviving people took the cure and left New York. That’s a far more satisfying conclusion to the story than the theatrical version, which saw Neville sacrifice himself in order to save a woman and her son from the infection.
This alternative ending isn’t the only one available for the film, however, and I Am Legend has been released in a few other versions. In the other versions, Neville reaches a tense truce with the infected and leaves New York with the others.
It’s hard to tell how this sequel will play out, but it seems like it’ll be an enjoyable ride for everyone involved. And if you’re a fan of Smith’s and Jordan’s work, you’ll probably enjoy this movie too.
Variety: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan Star in I Am Legend Sequel
The sequel to I Am Legend, which is based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, is finally in the works after more than a decade of trying. Now, Smith and Jordan are teaming up to star in the upcoming film, as Deadline reports.
The two superstars are set to reprise their roles from the 2007 original, which focuses on scientist Robert Neville who is stranded in New York City after a virus turns humans into zombie-like creatures that can’t walk. It’s a heartbreaking tale and one that’s sure to resonate with fans of the genre.
It’s also a big reunion for Smith and Jordan, who previously worked together on Creed, which earned $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide. Now, the duo is coming together again to star and produce a follow-up to I Am Legend, with Akiva Goldsman returning to pen the script and produce.
According to Deadline, the sequel will ‘trace back to the original Matheson book’ and return to the post-apocalyptic world of New York a ‘few decades later than the first’. But it’s unclear if this will mean that the film will ignore the original film’s theatrical ending.
This could lead to a very confusing movie for viewers, especially since the first installment ended on such a cliffhanger. However, it could be a great way to bring new life into the franchise, as it’s been years since we’ve seen the original.
Another option is to use digital rejuvenation techniques to re-create the actor’s original image from his first movie. It’s also a possibility to use the movie’s alternate ending, which sees Neville survive his final explosion and land on a survivors’ camp.
That’s the only way that the movie can truly live up to its predecessor, but it’s still very exciting to see both of these talented stars teaming up once again. And as we’ve mentioned before, they’re both on a massive award run right now.
In addition to the I Am Legend sequel, Smith is currently starring in King Richard, which has already won him a number of awards. He recently nabbed the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor and is up for an Academy Awards nomination as well. Considering that he’s earned a total of six Oscar nominations, it’s safe to say that this will be a massive honor for the actor.
Screen Rant: Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan Star in I Am Legend Sequel
The sequel to the 2007 hit I Am Legend is set to be helmed by Oscar-winning writer Akiva Goldsman. The original film, which starred Smith as a scientist who survives a deadly virus that turns human beings into zombie-like creatures, became a box office success and earned Smith accolades for his performance.
The new film will be based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel and stars Jordan as another survivor of the pandemic. It’s not clear whether or not Smith will return to reprise his role in the sequel, though it has been rumored that he could appear via flashbacks or even as a dream character.
With Jordan set to co-star and produce alongside Smith, it’s a good thing the pair are getting a chance to work together again. Their other projects include the upcoming Black Panther, as well as Creed III, which they will be directing and starring in.
I Am Legend was a huge success and has become something of a classic in Hollywood. It was a post-apocalyptic thriller that explored the human condition and how we react to the worst things that can happen. The movie was a box-office winner and earned a total of $585 million worldwide.
In the first movie, Smith’s character, Robert Neville, was stranded in New York City after a man-made virus spread across the globe. The virus killed the majority of humanity and turned some into bloodthirsty zombie-like creatures that could hide in the dark.
Despite this, Smith’s character managed to save two other survivors of the epidemic and he eventually died a hero after fighting off the zombies. While that story has been told many times, it will be interesting to see where this one takes it.
With a sequel to I Am Legend now in the works, it looks like Warner Brothers is bringing out the big guns to reignite the franchise. In addition to Smith, the studio has also tapped Michael B. Jordan to star in the film, according to Deadline and Variety.
It’s no surprise that a sequel to this film is happening, given how popular the first one was. With Jordan and Smith attached, it’s likely that this will be a box-office hit and it should be a lot of fun to watch the duo back on the big screen again.
