Will Smith Teases ‘I Am Legend 2’ Secrets: Only True Fans Will Fully Understand the Sequel
Will Smith recently attended the Red Sea International Film Festival. The 56-year-old made the rare appearance as he rebuilds his public image after the infamous 2022 Oscars incident where he slapped Chris Rock. In addition to addressing the “adversities” he’s faced over the past few years, Smith shared “too much information” about the I Am Legend sequel.
Will Smith revealed more than ever about the ‘I Am Legend’ sequel
Smith recently sat down for an intimate conversation with Samira Turkestani at the Red Sea International Film Festival. The Q&A host hinted at I Am Legend 2, with Smith excitedly holding back a smile. The Men in Black star explained, via BRICS Global Television Network, that he has “a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow” as the large audience of journalists cheered.
Smith elaborated, “The script just came in — I’m probably giving up too much information. Michael B. Jordan and I — you have to be a real I Am Legend buff, but in the first one in the theatrical version, my character died. And everybody’s like, ‘Wait a minute. How is he going to make a part two if his character [died]?'” Fans of the post-apocalyptic action thriller know about the heartbreaking scene where Smith’s character, U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville, kills both himself and attacking Darkseekers with a grenade, saving the cure for the lethal virus.
If you’ve seen the tragic end to the theatrical version, you’ve got to check out the DVD ending of I Am Legend. Smith explained during his Red Sea Film Festival interview, “On the DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived. So we’re going with the mythology for the DVD version where my character lived. And I can’t tell you anymore. But Michael B. Jordan is in, and we’re doing it.”
What motivated Will Smith to greenlight ‘I Am Legend 2’?
In an age where it seems like every successful TV show and movie gets a sequel, prequel, or reboot, some wondered about Smith’s motivation for I Am Legend 2. However, the Bad Boys star told the Red Sea audience, “My thing with the sequel is I refuse to make one just to make a sequel. I’m always trying to figure out what is the elevation of the character? What is the new idea? What is the change that will match the changes in our lives?”
Smith promised attendees that Neville’s character will “grow and learn and expand as we’re learning and growing and expanding in our lives.” He stated he would make the I Am Legend sequel not just “because it would be cool to make a sequel,” but “make it because there’s something new to say and there’s something new to share.” What does this mean? Hopefully, a sequel of substance for fans of the 2007 film.
