Released in December 2007, I Am Legend made an impression and has become a cult film over the years. Directed by Francis Lawrence and directed by Will Smith, this adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel grossed $585 million worldwide for a budget of $150 million. In France, the work attracted 3 million viewers, a huge success.
Back in 2012, rumors of a sequel started circulating before quickly dying down. 10 years later, irony! In March 2022, I Am Legend was officially announced, starring Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan, with Akiva Goldsman writing the script. Francis Lawrence is also due to renew his director’s chair, but nothing has been finalized yet.
What is the story of I AM LEGEND 2?
The story was supposed to be based on an alternate ending to the first film (which was rejected after test screenings), rather than the one seen in theaters in 2007. In the original work, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, a scientist who is shrouded in mystery. A virus that destroys the population and turns them into mutants. The last person living in New York, Neville tries to devote himself completely to his mission: to overcome the virus, canceling its terrible consequences using his own blood.
At the end of the film, Robert Neville dies, ruining his possible return in the sequel. In 2019, Frances Lawrence said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast: “Warner really wanted to do another one, but I didn’t see what I could do. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that people wanted to see the last man on earth, so we showed them the last man on earth. “
“But because he dies at the end, there’s nothing else you can do with him. Also, I don’t think the audience is attached to the character like Indiana Jones. It’s not an icon that you can come back to again and again.”she said.
How to get Will Smith character?
“I thought it was a bit slow to do a prequel, it was too similar to ‘Contagion’. And it would have been impossible to continue with Robert Neville anyway, or he’d have to do something stupid like ‘Scientists Recover’. His DNA and managed to recreate it.’ That would be completely stupid, so I decided to take a vacation.”Francis Lawrence played.
However, the director did not think of another solution. To make this sequel possible, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman will use an alternate ending to the story featured in the first film’s Blu-ray/DVD bonuses.
Instead of shooting the infected with a hand grenade, Neville realizes they’ve come to fix the woman he’s been experimenting on. The scientist opens the door and hands it over to his people. The infected then leave the lab, leaving Robert alive.
The latter makes his way to Bethel, Vermont with Anna (Alyssa Braga) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan). In this version, Neville has not found the antidote, but he remains alive. This ending, completely open, will therefore be the starting point of the second part.
In this alternate ending, the issue of good and evil was more nuanced, as Robert Neville discovered that the leader of the Infected was only looking to find his wife, who he kept in his lab, rather than kill her. And that he became a monster in their eyes, forcing him to abandon his research to find a cure and search for a colony of survivors.
Zombies, vampires, both?
If we follow the logic described in Matheson’s book, there are two types of infected: those who are essentially reanimated corpses (more like zombies) and those who are technically alive (more vampires). Neville then dedicates his life as the only immune human to killing both types of monsters while they sleep during the day while keeping others alive for study in his lab, but this leads to a war of sorts between him and the vampires.
Robert Neville
Although the ending of the book was still very different from the alternate ending of the first film, it still followed the idea that Neville was wrong to kill and experiment with vampires. Eventually, the survivor realizes that the vampires have begun to organize into advanced social groups.
The sequel will definitely explore the evolution of these creatures and how their society evolved. As in the original paper, there may be several versions of infected people to normal people. The case will follow.
Inspired by the last of us?
“The story will continue after several decades. I’m obsessed The last among them, where we discover a post-apocalyptic world, but several decades later. We see how nature is taking over the earth. And there is something glorious about this question, which is: What happens when a human decides to become a dominant species? This is a very interesting issue that we are going to explore. We will be more faithful to the original text”Akiva Goldsman told the site Deadline February 2023.
“It’s going to be mostly New York City shots. I don’t know if they’re going to scale the Empire State Building, but the possibilities are endless. We’re going back to Richard Matheson’s original book and also an alternate ending to the movie. Unlike what we’ve seen in theaters.”He confirmed.
If the sequel takes place several decades later, the survivor colony should not be part of it. And the starting point, for now, remains unclear. But we now have some clues, in addition to confirming that the project is still alive, which is better than nothing.
Who will star in I AM LEGEND 2?
So Will Smith should logically take up the mantle of scientist Robert Neville. Michael B. Jordan will also be there in an as-yet-unknown role. In March 2022, Smith told ET online that the star of the Creed saga participated in the development of the general idea of ​​the plot.
“It’s a really, really cool concept. It was one of those movies that I wanted to leave as it is. And then I got the idea.”Will Smith said.
i am legend 2 has a release date?
As of now, the second episode does not have an official release date yet. It is also not known when the filming will start. The project will definitely be talked about again after the strike that is currently paralyzing Hollywood.
Additionally, Will Smith has a number of projects lined up, including Bad Boys 4, which is slated to hit theaters on June 12, 2024. So we’ll have to wait until we know more about I Legend 2.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
