It was recently announced that I Am Legend would be getting a sequel, and along with the news came a lot of confusion from fans. At the end of the first movie (15-year-old SPOILER ALERT), Will Smith's character is seemingly killed, putting what appeared to be a definitive conclusion to the story. Some fans might have since seen the alternate ending that was included on the home video release with Smith's character actually surviving. So, which of these endings will be acknowledged in the new film?
There are still many questions that remain, and it's still not clear how the story in I Am Legend 2 will play out. All that's known is that Smith is returning to star in the film with Michael B. Jordan based on a pitch that Jordan had in mind for the sequel. At the PGA Awards, producer Jon Mone touched on what fans can expect from the movie. He couldn't divulge any specific information, but he reiterated how Jordan's concept was so "unbelievably cool" that it quickly sold Smith and writer Akiva Goldsman on the sequel. As Mone told Deadline:
"It is an unbelievably cool idea, an idea that made [Will] and Akiva believe that it was worth telling another story. I really can't say [if it's based on any of the graphic novels], but it's based on the minds of Will, and Akiva, and Michael B. Jordan, who came up with this incredible angle on how you can continue that story."
This echoes what Smith recently said about the sequel. The actor explained to Entertainment Tonight that he fully intended to leave I Am Legend be with no real interest in ever doing a sequel. Jordan must really have a million-dollar idea for I Am Legend 2, because as Smith also noted, the concept he had for the story quickly sparked interest. Smith noted that it's a "really, really cool concept" that the actor knew would work when he first heard the idea.
I Am Legend 2 Doesn't Yet Have a Director
Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan will both star in and produce I Am Legend 2, marking their first big project together in this capacity. Oscar-winning writer Akiva Goldsman will also return to pen the screenplay and produce with Smith and Jordan. Also producing are Jon Mone for Westbrook Studios, Elizabeth Raposo for Outlier Society, Akiva Goldsman, and Greg Lessans for Weed Road Pictures. James Lassiter will executive produce. Ryan Shimazaki will oversee for Westbrook. A director is not yet attached.
I Am Legend was directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Goldsman and Mark Protosevich. Based on the book I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, the film follows Will Smith as an isolated man in a post-apocalyptic New York whose life is threatened by hostile mutants. The film was a tremendous hit at the box office, and though there were tentative plans to make a sequel after the first film's release, nothing has ever materialized until now.
I Am Legend 2 does not yet have a release date.