There have been rumblings about an impending second installment in the I Am Legend (would-be) franchise being made, ever since the original 2007 film grossed over half a billion dollars worldwide in theaters. Warner Bros. has finally struck a deal to do just that, with Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman – who co-wrote and produced the original Legend adaptation – now onboard to collaborate on the project (in some form).
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. The second I Am Legend flick is (as Deadline puts it) “not being called a prequel,” and is being fashioned so as to allow Will Smith to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville (if the A-lister so chooses).
Quick history lesson: some three years ago, Smith reportedly conceived an idea for an I Am Legend prequel, the setup for which would have seen the Robert Neville character team up with pockets of survivors in the aftermath of an apocalyptic man-made virus – resulting in him “interacting, bonding, and ultimately failing to save them,” thus setting the stage for the events of I Am Legend.
However, that idea was scrapped in favor of a more direct sequel. The script for I Am Legend 2 was to be written by then-unknown D.B. Weiss (now, known as the co-creator of HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series) and would have somehow allowed for Smith to reprise his role as Mr. Neville, despite his (spoiler?) having been seemingly blown up by a grenade during the climax of the first film.
Jump to the present and Warner Bros. has instead recruited up-and-comer Arash Amel (The Expatriate) to pen the initial draft for the new I Am Legend movie. There’s no word yet on whether or not the project is still being fashioned as a sequel – though, it could be in a state of flux similar to the studio’s 300 spin-off, a film which was long assumed to be a prequel/midquel, but has recently been labeled a sequel instead.
Smith is expected to return for the second 'I Am Legend' installment
Assuming the second installment of I Am Legend is not simply a prequel-in-disguise, there are two ways for a Smith-starring sequel to make sense (sort of):
- Robert Neville is featured heavily in flashbacks, in a manner similar to how I Am Legend chronicles the chaotic quarantine of Manhattan (via its protagonist’s memories).
- Amel’s screenplay accepts I Am Legend‘s alternate ending (which partly restores the thematic value of Richard Matheson’s source material, while also allowing Robert Neville to live) as being “canon” – and ignores the much-decried climax to the film adaptation’s theatrical cut.
Obviously, the easier (and, frankly, more interesting) route would be to develop a prequel along the lines of what Smith originally had in mind, rather than attempting to awkwardly navigate around the conclusion to the theatrically-released version of I Am Legend. For the time being, though, it seems that the former may NOT be what Warner Bros. has in mind. Make of that what you will.
-
We will keep you posted on the status of the new I Am Legend installment (be it prequel or sequel) as the story develops.
Source: Deadline
‘Dexter’ Season 8 Trailer: The Hunt Begins – How Will it End? 
‘Game of Thrones’ to End in Season 7? 
‘Pacific Rim’ Featurette Explores ‘Drift Space’; First TV Spot Offers More Action 
‘Prometheus 2′ Casting Rumor – Is the Sequel Moving Forward? 
Imagine if they did away with the theatrical ending and went ahead with the alternate ending for the new movie LOL XD i can already imagine…..
Person watching in the theatre: WTF!? I THOT HE DIED IN THE LAST ONE?!?
the studio: uuuuhhhh yeah, we kinda messed up at the ending of the first movie, so we went ahead And went with the alternate ending………yknow, the one u didnt see
XD
thats what isaid HE DIED!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Amel’s screenplay accepts I Am Legend‘s alternate ending (which restores the conclusion to author Richard Matheson’s source material, where Robert Neville lives)”
No, he died in Richard Matheson’s source material, as well.
Sorry about that, I was thinking more in thematic terms, ie. the alternate ending restores Matheson’s original meaning with the title “I Am Legend.”
I’ve changed that bit accordingly.
This is gonna make alot of casual movie goers scratching their heads and wondering “WTF? He died at the end of the last movie”
Thanks hollywood, this will not be the first time that I needed to explain whats going on to other people. Examples include, but not limited to, Why Deadpool sucked in XMO:W
No. Casual movie goers will barely remember how the previous one ended. Hardcore movie buffs are the ones that will be scratching their heads. This is exactly why the producers can come out with I Am Legend 2…for the majority of folks, continuity issues are irrelevant.
No, sit down and close your mouth.
Continuity is always relevant.
This brings up why i am surprised they didnt do Kill bill 3.. It would make no sense coz bill already is dead.. this could be titled “I Am Already A Legend”
Can’t we all just be happy they are working on another film?
Has anyone here actually read the original short story ? The first movie had almost no resemblance to the original character or plot. When I heard they were making the first film I pictured Billy Bob Thornton as an everyday joe Robert Neville. Hollywood did what they do and completely missed the point of the original story. Neville went from a relatable character to a government scientist / over the top action hero. Also the CGI antagonists were cartoony, sad for a Hollywood budget when even TV series like The Walking Dead can do makeup that is believable and stories with true character conflicts and depth. I Am Legend 2 is a pass for me, no matter what they do.
I remember Will Smith stating the the movie I Am Legend was going to be closer to the source material the Charles Heston’s The Omega Man was. When I saw I Am Legend, I did not see much similarity to the story, but the references to The Omega Man was all over the place.
A prequel i might watch, a sequel with Neville still alive, I won’t waste my money.
COOOOOL
I just watched the alternate ending and I have to say I like it better than the original ending I liked how it conveyed that the creatures were in some small part still human. I think they should’ve used it instead of the theatrical ending, at least then a sequel would make sense
It always amazes me how things like alternate endings and directors cuts are almost ALWAYS better than the theatrical release. Makes me wonder what idiots decide to override the directors decisions.
Did you ever see the alternate ending for Ronin? It still had De Niro and Jean Reno’s character’s sitting in the cafe, but it showed Natasha McElhone’s character coming down those long stairs. She gets half way down and stops to contemplate, it flashes back and forth between De Niro and Reno talking about her, and McElhone on the stairs.
She finally decide’s not to go to the cafe, when she gets back to the top of the stairs an IRA van is waiting for her. They grab her and throw her in, one of the IRA guys says “This is what happens to traitors” and they take off. All the while De Niro has no idea of what has just happened to her.
A bit of a nasty ending because you know what’s going to happen to her, but a bit more realistic. I think they should have gone with that one.
Bringing back a dead character isn’t a problem though, remember the original BSG, in the film Baltar is beheaded by a centurion, in the TV series they stop short of actually doing it and give him command of a base ship.
Just re-release the film with the alternate ending then release the sequel a few months later.
Bingo!!
For Ronin’s alternate ending, it was Sean Bean’s character that said “This is what happens to traitors” The Irtish wannabe that DeNiro crushed just by asking about a boat house.
I prefer the original ending on that one.
For those of us who purchased the Directors Cut Bluray, the main character DID NOT DIE, but in fact escaped, so it is quite possible to do a sequel, and a good one at that.
Considering the violence done to the Highlander series (first Conner McCloud was The One, then he was an alien, then there was another One, then there was another McCloud and Conner died) I would not be surprised at all if they threw continuity out the window.
I would have warned you about the Highlander spoiler alert, but the producers of the sequels spoiled it way beforehand.
The ending Richard Matheson wrote really blew my mind when I read it. I was glad to see remnants of it in the alternate ending in the film. It really makes you realize why it is called I am Legend. I think it is a great direction to start with if they’re accepting it.
It is simple, all is experiments and chemicals were in the lab with him and the zombies the interaction of those things combined into a chemical soup that reassembled him into a now super human character with the strength of the monsters and the ability to cure them by pissing on them.
hmm i got rick rolled so many times on YT coz of this movie. my own fault.
It seems to me like their best option, if making a sequel, would be to start it out with the clip of the alternate ending from the first movie. The way they start out TV shows sometimes with how the previous “to be continued” episode ended. That would serve to establish that scene as canon, and then they can go from there. Still be a lot of outrage about it, but it’ll make money either way, and that’s all they care about.
I wish they would just forget about this completely… They completely destroyed what the novel was and what made it so great. Sigh.
What this new film SHOULD be called:
“I Am A Ridiculous Soul-Sucking Cash Cow Ripoff That Teenagers Will Probably Go See Because They Are Quick To Forgive Us”
Hey, that’s catchy! The title’s too long though, we’ll shorten it by using only initials, that’s what they’re doing with their rap music nowadays right?. The kids’ll love it! (Stupid kids.)
Yeah, I like it..
Wow first MIB3 , now I am legend 2
SPOILERS j-u-s-t -a-mo-v-i-e w-h-e-r-e w-i-l-l- s-m-i-t-h-d-i-e-d
END SPOILERS
didn’t realize he hit the infamous point where he’s not relevant anymore and he’s milking every past success he had…
guess Bad Boys 3 won’t be too long…
You don’t even know what milking out a franchise is at all.
They milk it out if they make more then 3+ movies which are overrushed and sucks cock.
All his movies are great and they put alot of thought into it.
Please google words you don’t know first.
“which partly restores the thematic value of Richard Matheson’s source material”
Thematic value? Source material?! THEY WERE VAMPIRES, not plague victims!
The source material was tossed in the toilet, who gives a fig how he comes back to life?
Aside from some cool empty-city CGI and one really cool Mustang with a supercharger that movie BLEW!
1/2 billion be damned..
Actually it was a disease caused by a bacterial infection. While Matheson indeed called them Vampires, they were not your average Nosferatu or Lost Boy.
If they would bring him back I would imagine that will smith (Dr. Neville) was terribly injured but didn’t die from the damage(although confusing to think that all zombies died and the lab blasted off without him dying). and towards the end, when that woman and her kid reached that gated city, Dr. neville was resting in the car “brutally injured”.
I can’t imagine how they would pass on “flashbacks”, Dr. Neville worked alone in most of the first part, and only met that women for a short while, besides how much would it be relevant to get in flashbacks in the second part in mass amount?!
Another great movie would be I Am Legend from the POV of the alpha male infect. From the time of his infection to the time of His and Robert Neville’s demise.
This would be a neat take as it would keep with the original spirit of the title “I AM LEGEND” that was protrayed in earlier films (omega man, etc). The fact that the entire world was not dead but instead a new different noctural race and as a race their first monster, their first legend is Robert Neville.
There are loads of potential leads they can go with, no matter which ending they use. Forget the original source material and what this was based on, the whole actual essence of the film is captured in the way Will Smith portrays the character; and lets you watch as his “madness” from lack of humanity unfold, yet he holds to curing the seemingly incurable. A book based around a single person is no hard task, however a film that is nearly two and a half hours long is a tough feat, and it is done with the amazing acting. The real audience to character connection when his only friend in the world, Sam the dog, dies and the little things that he does to keep himself sane such as watching recorded television. I think it’s a brilliant film, and as long as any further instalments feature that craziness from lack of interaction, or maybe a spin off into how he “re-integrates” back into society when he finds out the world is still out there. Who knows, but I look forward to it!
why dont they do a movie which is before the original i am legend?? i mean in the original flashbacks we saw the last one whee his wife and kid died by the copter…and he says day 1001… i mean surely teres a big gap..also i would like the dg to return..it was the saddest part when he died…
It would be pretty easy to make a sequel even with the theatrical ending.
Just overlay a voice over by Alice Braga’s character over the last few minutes of the first film, establishing the events we’ve already seen as her interpretation told to other survivors, but not necessarily the truth.
Then show the “magic trick” of how he survived the blast.
Personally I’m stoked no matter what they do, I genuinely loved the first film and I think it’s some of Smiths best work, if not his best work period.
Good idea actually, if they did it like that then I reckon they could get away with it
One of the greatest Science Fiction books of the last century and it’s been botched by 3 miserable screen adaptations. Yea Gregg, you can milk a cat.
When will I am Legend 2 be fully out? I want to see it soon enough.
an easy way to make a sequel to the theatrical ending would be to say he survived the blast, but just barely. All the chemicals that he worked with could have made him have a quicker body repair rate, like wolverine did on the xmen, the film could open with him crippled on the floor in a mess, but his flesh growing back nd then him coming back to life, ino it sounds like a stupid idea but they could pull it off
another thing they could say is the combination of his immune dna and the dna of the rage that bit him created a genetic phenomenon that gave him unknown protection from the blast, lessening the effect of what it did to him, therefore keeping him alive, but in a coma, he could awake from the coma 1 year later to find that the cure has developed antibodies, bringing back the rage
I CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH THAT MOVIE!!!! and fact, I LOVE U WILL SMITH!!!!
I think that was the best movie for will,hope he continue sucsessfuly:)
Sequel please!!
Well she could probably come up with a great way to do this movie then.