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Following the grand success of the 2007 movieI Am Legend,Will Smith was supposed to return for another installment. Reprising his role as scientist Robert Neville, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct, Smith was supposed to have a prequel to his movie, after Tom Cruise saved the film from being a debacle.
In 2022 it was announced thatI Am Legendwill be having a prequel story to it, with Akiva Goldsman’s screenplay. However, recently Francis Lawrence revealed how he’s busy withConstantine 2over the 2007 movie’s prequel especially since he faced issues after Warner Bros and DC changed regimes.
Also read:Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio and More, 5 Actors Who Did Not Have to Regret After Refusing to Star in DC Movies
Director Is Busy WithConstantine 2OverI Am LegendSequel
Right after the release of Will Smith’sI Am Legend, which turned into a box office hit, there were speculations of a potential prequel to the story. Since, by the end of the 2007 film Smith’s character was blown to smithereens, moving backward was the only way to keep him involved with the franchise. And apparently, it was all possible to hope becauseTom Cruisesaved the first movie from being a debacle, by helping Smith with constructive feedback.
In 2008, Warner Bros started working on the prequel toI Am Legend.Will Smithwas supposed to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct. Further, even Akiva Goldsman was supposed to return with his screenplay. However, in 2011,the director disputed the claims by stating, “No, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen” while speaking withMTV.
Nonetheless, it was later announced in 2022 that work has again begun on theI Am Legendprequel. But yet again, issues and obstacles came along with the production. Eventually, Warner Bros and DC changed regimes which affected the plans for Keanu Reeves’Constantine 2,directed by Francis Lawrence. This shifted the director’s focus from the 2007 movie’s prequel to Reeves’ DC film.
Also read:Tom Cruise Does Not Mind Getting Trolled in Movie As the Mission Impossible Star Gives Permission to Use His Footage for Melissa McCarthy’s Genie
Will Smith’sI Am LegendSequel Might Face a Delay
Speaking withThe Hollywood Reporter, Francis Lawrence therefore mentioned how he already knew that Will Smith’s 2007 cult classic would face difficulty in getting a prequel. Stating how he is currently focused onConstantine 2,after facing major obstacles with the movie, from Warner Bros and DC Studios, Lawrence mentioned that evenAkiva Goldsmanis working on the same.
“We’ve had many obstacles. Me, Keanu, Akiva [Goldsman] have tried over the years to wrangle some control of the character again because it had been handed over…And then the regime at DC changed, and they’ve got their plans. But luckily, we managed to wrangle some control and started working on some ideas for Constantine 2, which we’re really excited about.”
While discussing how Warner Bros’ constant change of plans affects filmmaking,Francis Lawrencewas asked about Will Smith’sI Am Legendprequel. And quite frankly, the director mentioned how they had plans to create a prequel right after the first movie was released. But over the years the entire crew got busy with other projects.
“We talked about a sequel or prequel right after we made the original one. Then we all went off and did different things. And then I remember hearing that they were going to just do a reboot of it and remake it with somebody else, but then that went away. I know that Akiva is working on something now, but honestly, my focus is on Constantine 2.”
It seems Warner Bros indirectly killed Will Smith’s prequel story and now the movie is a lost cause for the people associated with the project.
Read more:“Part of why I wanted to do this movie”: Francis Lawrence Did Hunger Games Prequel to Show Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow’s Descent into Madness
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3219
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
