A couple of years ago, it was announced that Warner Bros. and producer Akiva Goldsman‘s company Weed Road are working on a sequel to the 2007 Richard Matheson adaptation I Am Legend (watch it HERE), which will see Will Smith reprising the role of Dr. Robert Neville, now joined in the cast by an unspecified character played by Michael B. Jordan. We haven’t heard much about I Am Legend 2 as time has gone by – but Goldsman, who is producing and writing the project, says there will be “good news” to share about it soon.
During a panel appearance at Comic-Con, Goldsman said (with thanks to Deadline for the transcription), “There will be some good news shortly.” He wrote the first draft of the script, had a meeting with Smith and Jordan to discuss that draft, then wrote a second draft. He didn’t give away any story details, but did say, “The world returns in a way that is kind of spectacular – an exciting playground for all of us – not your father’s I Am Legend.“
Directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Goldsman and Mark Protosevich that was based on the Matheson novel, I Am Legend had the following synopsis: Robert Neville, a brilliant scientist, is a survivor of a man-made plague that transforms humans into bloodthirsty mutants. He wanders alone through New York City, calling out for other possible survivors, and works on finding a cure for the plague using his own immune blood. Neville knows he is badly outnumbered and the odds are against him, and all the while, the infected wait for him to make a mistake that will deliver Neville into their hands.
The version of I Am Legend that reached theatres ended with Neville sacrificing himself (using a grenade to blow up himself and the attacking “Darkseeker” creatures) to protect other characters. But that ending was actually a reshoot. The original ending was more low-key, with Neville making peace with the Darkseekers after realizing that he was the monster in the eyes of these creatures. That alternate ending was included on the special edition home video release of I Am Legend – and Goldsman has previously told Deadline that I Am Legend 2 will continue on from the ending where Neville survived, not the theatrical ending where he died. He reiterated that during the Comic-Con panel, saying, “We’re sequelizing the alternative cut, where Will lives and things don’t go well for humanity.“
Are you interested in seeing Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan share the screen in I Am Legend 2? Share your thoughts on this sequel by leaving a comment below… and when this good news Goldsman is promising arrives, we’ll let you know here on JoBlo.