The ‘I Am Legend’ Sequel Is Finding Inspiration in ‘The Last of Us’

More news is surfacing on the upcoming I Am Legend sequel, which we now know will star Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan.

Producer and writer Akiva Goldsman is also returning to Warner Brothers as a part of a multi-year first-look deal. That deal includes not only the I Am Legend sequel but also Constantine 2, which Keanu Reeves is expected to return for.

2007’s I Am Legend, which is based on the 1954 apocalyptic horror novel by Richard Matheson, was a huge box office success. The movie grossed more than $585 million against a budget of $150 million. So it’s not surprising a sequel is in the works. Though it is a little more surprising it has taken more than 15 years.

What We Know About The I Am Legend Sequel

Goldsman spoke about the upcoming sequel to Deadline, saying, “We trace back to the original Matheson book and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film.”

“What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end,” he adds. “That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”

Finding Inspiration in The Last of Us

Goldsman also noted that he’ll be taking some inspiration from the wildly successful HBO series, The Last of Us, led by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

“This will start a few decades later than the first. I’m obsessed with ‘The Last of Us’, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-30-year lapse,” Goldsman notes. “You see how the earth reclaims the world. And there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?”

“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,” he adds.

Goldsman’s excitement for the upcoming I Am Legend sequel is palpable. And he’s excited that the bosses as Warner Brothers, including Michael De Luca and Pam Adby, share his commitment to targeting “thoughtful things that can play theatrically.”

“We’re all trying to figure out where that strike zone is. And I want to be able to help with IP I know and find pieces that are a little more actor-ey and story-driven but not as IP driven.” he adds.

The upcoming film is still in the early stages of development, even though Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan have already both signed on. Jordan will also be producing the flick alongside Goldsman, James Lassiter, Gregory Lessans, Jon Mone, Elizabeth Raposo, and Ryan Shimazaki. Jordan’s Production company, Outlier Society, is also listed as the movie’s production company. 

There’s no additional information available at this time. But we’ll keep you posted as more details surface.