The film is set to take place decades after the first instalment…
Before Will Smith was making headlines for slapping renowned comedians and getting banned from award shows, he was a bonafide action star, and it’s universally agreed upon that his role in apocalyptic epic I Am Legend was one of the most underrated of his career, with his portrayal of scientist and one-man army Robert Neville receiving universal praise in 2007. What wasn’t as well-received, however, was the film’s lacklustre ending, which showed Smith’s Neville sacrificing himself to the zombified Darkseekers to save his counterparts in Anna and Ethan, along with the possible cure for mankind.
It received widespread criticism for its poor execution and its straying away from the source material of the 1954 novel, which showed the main character of Robert Neville coming to respect the film’s antagonists and understand that he had in fact become the villain. Thankfully, an alternate ending of the film was released when it was released on DVD (jeez, remember those?) in 2008, which showed Smith’s Neville ultimately surrendering to the infected before being let go, and fans have long since pulled for it to be renamed as the official conclusion.
Now, according to a producer on the upcoming I Am Legend sequel, it seems fans have gotten their wish, with filmmaker Akiva Goldsman revealing in a recent interview that the sequel will take on the “alternate ending” as opposed to the OG. Meaning, Smith’s character will be resurrected. It’s also set to take place some time after the first film, with Goldsman adding, “This will start a few decades later than the first. That will be especially visual in New York. … I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the Empire State building, but the possibilities are endless.
“We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” he added. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”
This will come as welcome news to fans of the cult classic. It’s also been reported that Creed star Michael B. Jordan will star in the film alongside Smith, which will make a winning duo if there ever was one. Here’s hoping we get an official release date or teaser for the film sometime soon. For now, check out the alternate and original endings out for a good dose of nostalgia.
