When I Am Legend was released back in 2007, post-apocalyptic tales weren't quite as commonplace as they are now. It's fondly remembered by fans of the genre, though, and there have been rumblings about a sequel for several years. However, it wasn't until this year we learned Will Smith is set to make his unexpected return to the franchise.
Details are scarce, but it's thought that he'll star in and produce the project alongside Michael B. Jordan, with the prevailing theory being that Smith will pass the torch to his co-star. With that, the property would obviously find new life, likely setting the stage for a new series of movies set in this world.
During a recent interview with ComicBook.com (via SFFGazette.com), I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence shared where things stand with the sequel, dialling back expectations to some extent.
"I have spoken to Akiva [Goldsman] a little bit about it, but I think that is still aways away. I'd love to do it," the filmmaker reveals. "I've heard some things about I Am Legend. We actually don't have much, just brainstorming things for Constantine, but I'm sworn to secrecy on I Am Legend."
It's clearly still very early days for this project, and we're guessing the trades might have jumped the gun on what sounds like little more than a clever concept at this stage.
The original movie followed Robert Neville (Smith), a brilliant scientist, who was a survivor of a man-made plague that transforms humans into bloodthirsty mutants. He wanders alone through New York City, calling out for other possible survivors, and works on finding a cure for the plague using his own immune blood.
While it ended with Neville seemingly killing himself and one of the monstrous Darkseekers courtesy of a hand grenade, an alternate ending saw him survive. That's not the canonical conclusion and was basically a DVD extra, so how Smith's return would be explained in this planned sequel is hard to say.
Stay tuned to SFFGazette.com for updates on I Am Legend 2 as we have them.