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Warner Bros. is Rebooting 'I Am Legend' Without Will Smith Involved

by Ethan Anderton
October 2, 2014
Source: Deadline

After years of trying to figure out the right way to do a sequel to the 2007 apocalyptic action thriller I Am Legend starring Will Smith, it sounds like Warner Bros. has finally figured it out. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) for fans of the original film, it won't have Will Smith involved, and will actually be a reboot of the property with hopes of a new franchise being launched. Deadline reports the the studio is toying with a spec script by Gary Graham called A Garden at the End of the World that they will retrofit into a reboot of I Am Legend. Graham was a mere Apple store employee who had his script get buzz after posting it on The Black List website, and ended up getting representation because of it. More below!

Warner Bros. picked up the script that is described as a sci-fi version of the classic John Wayne film The Searchers, and while they asked Graham to rewrite his script as usual, they also talked to I Am Legend producers about the scripts similarity in themes and even mythology, and they decided to have the script be reworked for an I Am Legend reboot. The original film's producers, Akiva Goldsman at Weed Road, James Lassiter at Overbrook Entertainment and Joby Harold at Safehouse Pictures, are back in the same capacity, and they'll be joined by Roy Lee At Vertigo and Graham's manager Brooklyn Weaver.

That officially means that any sequel to I Am Legend is dead in the water. Warner Bros. tried several times to make it happen. Akiva Goldsman confirmed the project probably wouldn't happen earlier this year, and he even detailed what the story would have been. The first film took in $586 million worldwide, but it's hard to say just how much of that was due to the box office appeal of Will Smith as an international superstar. Is there a chance that this property is interesting enough to be rebooted and get audiences in the seats without Will Smith involved? It likely depends on who takes the lead roles. Stay tuned.

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Reader Feedback - 13 Comments

The film was disappointing and poorly made. I mean I like Will and he's good enough to hold the screen but the makers forays into the CGI ridiculousness of the mutants and the shattering of the feeling of loneliness with the constant flashbacks was amateur. I will concede that they did the dog well as this was also a very emotive part of the book. Maybe they should just concentrate on making a thoroughly good film rather than being obsessed about a franchise.

Payne by name on Oct 2, 2014

It wasn't perfect but I loved the movie, it could be that I was distracted from the rest of the film because of, I'm my opinion, one of the best performances ever delivered.

Jon Odishaw on Oct 2, 2014

1. No (of course) meeting a hot chick an the abandoned city 2. No cg monsters poof, better movie

OfficialJab on Oct 2, 2014

So now we reboot movies that are not even 10 years old? ffsfml

Brian Sleider on Oct 2, 2014

Thats it. I'm not going to pay for any kind of reboot anymore. Personal boycott to lazyass hollywood rebooting everything...

ProjectionistHP on Oct 2, 2014

Yes !! Finally a remake of a remake of a remake of a movie based on a book

Tester on Oct 2, 2014

I love stories about relative unknowns getting recognized for coming up with good scripts and good ideas.

Quanah on Oct 2, 2014

Even when those good scripts and good ideas are hosed down and absorbed into yet another reboot of a film we have already seen 3 times? Last Man Standing (1964) The Omega Man (1971) I Am Legend (2007)

crystaltowers on Oct 2, 2014

Yes. Even then. Studios will do that, unfortunately. I'm excited for the writer.

Quanah on Oct 2, 2014

it was the baddest cgi I've seen in a long time but it made 500 million because will Smith was in it. So a realy realy big star can onley save a sequel!

Avi on Oct 2, 2014

Why make his story more like I am Legend and make it a reboot? Why not change it and make it something original? There's already been THREE I am Legends...

Bill on Oct 2, 2014

Ooo...bad choice. OMEGA MAN before I AM LEGEND.

DAVIDPD on Oct 2, 2014

Great news! That Will Smith version was garbage.

SkyNet300 on Oct 4, 2014

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