New I Am Legend Movie Or Show Being Developed By Warner Bros
A new project based on I Am Legend is reportedly being developed by Warner Bros. Following The Last Man on Earth (1964) and Omega Man (1971), the most recent take on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel was I Am Legend (2007). The film follows Robert Neville (Will Smith), a virologist who just so happens to be the only human in New York City to survive a deadly outbreak that stems from a drug meant to cure cancer — which has turned the rest of the population into mutants, the Darkseekers. With the help of Smith’s star power and performance, I Am Legend grossed $585.4 million at the global box office on its $150 million budget.
Despite its commercial success, I Am Legend’s ending has proven divisive. After spending three years in Manhattan attempting to cure the Krippin Virus, Neville finally has a breakthrough after injecting his blood into a female Darkseeker. At the end of the film, her partner, the Alpha, corners Neville, Anna (Alice Braga), and Ethan (Charlie Tahan), behind plexiglass in Neville’s basement. The theatrical, canonical ending sees Smith’s character sacrifice himself so that Anna and Ethan can escape with the cure. In the alternate ending, Neville realizes the Darkseekers have retained some humanity. Therefore, he gives the Alpha back his mate and survives. In 2008, director Francis Lawrence said he and Smith would be returning for a prequel exploring Neville’s time in New York before the cure for cancer went bad. However, in 2011, Lawrence said a prequel was no longer in development.
Related: How The Last Man On Earth Movie Inspired Night Of The Living Dead
According to The Hollywood Reporter, WB might be developing either a new I Am Legend movie or television show. The article discusses the ongoing legal dispute between WB and Village Roadshow. Apparently, the latter is being excluded from “several prequels, sequels or television shows that [WB] has actively been developing based on shared rights, including Sherlock Holmes, the Ocean’s series, Ready Player One, I Am Legend, Where the Wild Things Are and Yes Man.”
While some of the projects mentioned as in development are part of franchises that many expect to continue, the news that I Am Legend will continue comes as a surprise. Not only has it been 15 years since the last film hit theaters, but any and all prequel plans/stories hit a wall. It seems likely that whatever WB is developing will be a reboot of the franchise that more closely adheres to its source material, and stars someone seemingly less-heroic than Smith.
Unlike the film, I Am Legend, which depicts its Darkseekers as comparable to zombies, Matheson’s novel of the same names sees Neville face off against vampires — who are otherwise indistinguishable from humans. This new, dominant race born of the infection views Neville as a monster killing their loved ones. Aside from thematic similarities in I Am Legend’s alternate ending, the film is obviously a huge departure from Matheson's book. As popular culture seemingly outgrows its zombie obsession, it might be time for vampires to make a comeback. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the recent miniseries based on Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven has found success on HBO Max. It’s not hard to imagine I Am Legend making its way to the streaming service as well.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter