More news is available for the long-awaited I Am Legend sequel starring and produced by Will Smith and Michael B Jordan. And it looks like it’s going to take a different direction than the original movie.
The original filmmaker Akiva Goldsman, who is returning to write and direct, recently revealed that the sequel will follow the “alternate ending” from the DVD release of the first film. It will also be be more faithful to Richard Matheson’s 1954 novella that inspired the first film.
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“We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” he said. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”
The original ending of “I Am Legend” saw Neville sacrifice himself to save two survivors and a potential cure for the virus that had devastated the world, but the alternate ending had a more optimistic conclusion. In the DVD version, Neville realizes that the Darkseekers, the infected humans who were hunting him, were capable of more intelligence than he thought. He then sets one of them free and leaves New York City with the other survivors.
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The news of the sequel’s development was first announced in March of last year, with Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan both attached to star and produce. Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo are producing via their Outlier Society banner. Smith and Westbrook Studios Co-President, Head of Motion Pictures, Jon Mone will produce the project with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing on behalf of Westbrook Studios. James Lassiter will serve as EP. Goldsman and Greg Lessans will also produce via Weed Road Pictures.
The original “I Am Legend” was a massive commercial success, grossing $585 million at the global box office and ranking as the biggest-ever box office opening for a non-Christmas film released in December.