https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/will-smith-says-michael-b-jordan-convinced-him-to-sign-do-i-am-legend-sequel.html

Will Smith Says Michael B. Jordan Convinced Him to Sign to ‘I Am Legend’ Sequel

CULTURE



JAELANI TURNER-WILLIAMS

Jaelani Turner-Williams is a contributing news writer for Okayplayer w

Photo Credit: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
An upcoming sequel to 2007 film, I Am Legend will mark the first time that Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan have worked together.
A sequel to 2007 Will Smith post-apocalyptic film I Am Legend is coming. Given a film concept by co-star Michael B. Jordan, Smith recently confirmed the news with Entertainment Tonight.

“It was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea,” Smith said, ultimately hearing Jordan’s pitch and telling himself: “‘But that might work. I think we can do that.’”. Smith then teased that the sequel has a “really, really cool concept,” and Jordan was “part of creating the idea.”

With Smith and Jordan set to produce the film, Deadline reported that Akiva Goldsman–who co-wrote the original film–will return to write and co-produce the sequel. The 2007 version of I Am Legend was directed by Francis Lawrence, but it’s currently unknown who will direct the sequel.


Since news about the sequel has released, Smith and Jordan shared a still image from the 2007 film on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Casqkx_v0fk/

In the original film, Smith starred as Dr. Robert Neville who survives a viral plague in New York City, amidst humans-turned-zombies. The film opened to $77.2 million, grossing $256.4 million domestic and $585.4 million worldwide.


Smith has been on an award run since the beginning of the year for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard. He recently nabbed Best Actor at SAG Awards along with Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Literary Work for his 2021 autobiography Will, co-written with Mark Manson. Smith is also up for Best Actor at the 94th Academy Awards, going head-to head with Denzel Washington for his role of Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

I never saw it, but in the book he AND in the omega man he dies.

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Gone: My Discogs collection for The Roots:
http://www.discogs.com/user/tomhayes-roots/collection

In the alternate ending he didn’t die - instead of blowing himself up he realized that the zombie leader just wanted his girl back (who he’s been experimenting on), and this realized that HE was the monster and not them. So he gave her back and they left him alone. They could take the route of that ending being canon, and explore what the world looks like with humans (from the safe retreat at the end) and mutant zombies living together peacefully for some time, but with conflict arising.

Or they could go the route of cloning or something to bring him back, because the theatrical ending had him giving a vial of his blood to the woman who got away as the antidote before sacrificing himself by blowing himself up.

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but I have a feeling the Oscar committee taking Will Smith to the woodshed will have a bit of stink, or even worse, stank on him on terms of box office profitability. Will's road back to making movies again will probably be bumpier than what it took for folks to be willing to work with Mel Gibson again.

I guess it depends on how many pounds of flesh the Oscar committee will take from Willennium.

"Sean sparks like John Starks, nah, Sean ball like John Wall" - Rest In Power Forever Sean Price.