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That 'I Am Legend' Follow-Up is Coming Back to Life at Warner Bros.

by Ethan Anderton
February 17, 2012
Source: Deadline

Over three years ago, Warner Bros. greenlit a prequel to the 2007 hit I Am Legend, but the project fell apart. Now it appears the studio is giving the film new life again, but it's not being called a prequel this time. Will Smith even revealed himself years ago that the film would follow the fall of Manhattan, but it doesn't seem like that's the story anymore. Either way, Deadline reports WB has closed deals with producer Akiva Goldsman and Smith's Overbrook Entertainment banner to get a follow-up off the ground. However, Smith won't commit to star until the script is ready, and there's no word on just how much work needs to be done.

In addition, it's not clear if director Francis Lawrence is being brought in for the film, but fresh writer Arash Amel is going to write the script. At this point, I can't really see how a follow-up with Smith in the lead role can't be a prequel unless, spoiler alert, they have some kind of magic way to explain how Robert Neville didn't actually die at the end of the film. A prequel just makes more sense than a sequel, but I guess we'll have to leave it to Amel to figure out how to bring Neville back from the dead, if it's even necessary. Hopefully the project actually comes together this time and doesn't end up falling apart like New York City.

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Loser

Perhaps he is like doctor Manhattan and can put himself tohether again before fighting Skeletor and the Skrulls with Batman as his sidekick and John McClane shows up to help them Yippie....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwGtScDVKlU Missamberstras
  
  yueas!
Nathan

Or if they go with the alternative ending and disregard the theatrical ending...
- Solo_Calrissian
  
  That's immediately what came to mind. Even if they just opened the movie with the alternate ending and continued the story from that point. Though they didnt change the story, they pulled it off in LOTR Two Towers and Back to the Future II, so it couuuuuuld work as a sequel.
- peloquin
  
  I think this is the direction they should go in. A prequel would be dumb because there was already several flashbacks in the first film and there's nothing new to tell. I would like to see a sequel where they use the original ending rather than killing off Smith's character (which was a dumb idea to begin with).
  - Hattori Hanzo
    
    Agreed! The original ending was 100 times better than the ending that killed off his character. No doubt someone at Warner Brothers got a steel toe boot up the wazoo for not sticking with the original ending now.
    - Max Renn
      
      While it was a bad movie with a stupid ending, the original story ended with the main character exiting the plot, becoming the 'legend' of the title to the new race of creatures.
    - Max Renn
      
      While it was a bad movie with a stupid ending, the original story ended with the main character exiting the plot, becoming the 'legend' of the title to the new race of creatures.
Horseflesh

Hes prob not gonna agree unless he gets his 2 kids in the movie :/ . honestly the first 1 kinda was been there done that . another take on the zombie genre , or 28 days later. Constantine was kinda cool though an shia lebuf gets iced !
Loser

To be serious for a moment they just have to call it a reimagened sequel reboot and have it follow what happened in the first movie if the first one had been completely different. And so they can disregard everything that happened in the first but also bring back elements of the first. They often do this nowadays anyways people are going to pay for it what ever they do so. They can call it I am Legend earth-2. Dual universe where things went differently. Hey anyone remember Dallas When he woke up and everything that happened for tons of episodes were just a dream. Or go the George Lucas Way just change everything and say this is what actually happened you just missed it
- http://www.facebook.com/rpryde Robert Pryde
  
  haha I love the George Lucas remark
Tester

How about just don't do either... The original was not that good of a movie regardless of the ending. Omega Man was far superior with a far better lead actor
- Hattori Hanzo
  
  While I thought more of the orginal than you I do agree with maybe just leaving it alone. Hollywood just don't understand that just because they can make a sequel, prequel or reboot of any movie it doesn't mean they need or have too. Can you only imagine how may sequels and prequels of Casablanca and Citizen Kane there'd be if they were done today?
  - http://twitter.com/ohhCharlie1234 drew peacock
    
    But then again Hollywood now is quite different than the way it was when Casablanca and Citizen Kane came out.
    - Hattori Hanzo
      
      True, back then they knew how to make 'great' movies for the people paying to get in (not for the critics) on a daily basis and had enough talent to not have to milk a hit to death.
      - Solo_Calrissian
        
        In this Microwave society (the demand for everything to be ready instantly), studios seem to be always on the lookout to create the next great franchise.
happy camper

uh what a horrible movie, who would wanna even see a sequel? but i guess the real question is how many of his kids are gonna be in it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ5hK-D8kRQ Captain Crapola

I hope his exploded body slowly pulls itself back together and he becomes a super daywalker and then gets a sword and wears really tight leather and sunglasses, a bit like Blade, but he's more into science and mindsex.
http://www.mariners.com Mosiah

They could do a follow forward with heavy flashbacks....I.dunno if Smith would go for that though.....