Will Smith has revealed the original plan for his I Am Legend 2 movie with Michael B. Jordan, and the newer idea sounds so much better. The upcoming movie will again be written by Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original 2007 movie. I Am Legend was based on the book of the same name by author Richard Matheson and followed Smith’s character, Robert Neville, as the last man living in New York City following the Krippin Virus pandemic. In the movie’s theatrical cut, Neville died in the end, so bringing Smith in to join Jordan in the next I Am Legend movie is a bit complicated.
Since I Am Legend 2 was first announced, Goldsman revealed that the sequel would pick up following the original movie’s alternate ending. In this version of the story, Neville survived after discovering that the Darkseeker monsters were only attacking his home because he had captured the alpha’s mate. He had thought they were mindless monsters, so Neville hadn’t considered that the deadly experiments he had run on dozens of their kind would have any impact. I Am Legend 2 will continue this story, but that wasn’t always Goldsman’s plan.
I Am Legend 2 Was Originally Going To Be A Prequel
Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman Originally Conceived A Prequel Movie
Smith has revealed that, prior to the decision to make I Am Legend 2 a sequel based on the original movie’s alternate ending, Goldsman had initially pitched a prequel movie. Though Smith provided few details, it can be assumed that this would have explored the outbreak of the Krippin Virus. Of course, there would have been several issues with the I Am Legend prequel idea. It has been 18 years since the movie was released, so it would be difficult to convince audiences that Smith’s character is younger than he was in 2007. Additionally, a sequel has a better chance of lining up with the I Am Legend book.
I Am Legend 2 Being A Sequel To The Alternate Ending Is Way More Exciting
There’s So Much More Opportunity Here
The original I Am Legend movie’s ending diverted entirely from Matheson’s book, but the alternate version was a bit closer to canon. In the novel, Neville discovered that the mindless monsters he had been killing had actually been members of their own society. The Darkseekers (though they weren’t called this in the book) captured and imprisoned Neville for his crimes against their people, and it was ultimately decided that he would be executed. Though Neville survived the alternate ending of I Am Legend, his revelation about these monsters was the same.
The vampire-like monsters of the I Am Legend book had their own settlement community, which Neville was taken to and held captive.
Now that the new I Am Legend movie isn’t a prequel, the continued story can carry on the themes of Matheson’s original book. Smith shared that Jordan’s character will be the head of a settlement in Connecticut—a different settlement than the one Neville and Anna had been heading for. This is an exciting prospect since there are a couple of options for Jordan’s community. It could be made up of uninfected humans who will challenge Neville’s newfound compassion for the Darkseekers. Or, it could be the settlement of infected “monsters” from Matheson’s book. Regardless, this I Am Legend sequel sounds far more exciting.
I am Legend
- Created by
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Richard Matheson, Akiva Goldsman
Summary
The I Am Legend franchise explores a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a virus that turns humans into nocturnal, zombie-like creatures. The first film, released in 2007, stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist and the last known human survivor in New York City. He works tirelessly to find a cure while fending off mutated creatures. A sequel, I Am Legend 2, is currently in development and is set to expand the story decades after the events of the original, taking inspiration from the alternate ending where Neville survives.