Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan set for 'I Am Legend' sequel

Will Smith and Michael Jordan set to star in I Am Legend 2. (Faye’s Vision/Cover Images & Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

By: Joshua Martin

According to reports, Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan is set to star in I Am Legend 2 the official sequel to the hit film I Am Legend that grossed over $585 million dollars at the box office in 2007. 

It hasn’t been officially announced what role the Creed and Black Panther star Jordan will portray in the film but it has been confirmed he will sit in the producer’s chair. 

If you can recall, Smith played the role of Dr. Robert Neville: a post-apocalyptic survivor that hadn’t turned into seemingly mindless vampiric mutants known as “Darkseekers”. However, Neville dies at the end of the film’s original theatrical cut. Initially the Academy Award winning actor had no interest in a sequel, but changed his mind after becoming aware of Michael’s vision. 

“The idea came up. I can’t talk about it yet. But it’s a really, really cool concept, and he was a part of creating the idea. So it was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea. I was like, ‘That might work. I think we can do that.”

— Will Smith

Will Smith acting in blockbuster hit I Am Legend in 2007.

The 55-year-old mega star was also kind enough to share an update on the Jordan-assisted film at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia last year. 

“The script just came in… I’m probably giving away too much information. You have to be a real ‘I Am Legend’ buff, but in the first one, in the theatrical version, my character died. But for the DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived.”

— Will Smith

Despite having interest in creating the film for some time, Warner Bros. hadn’t officially confirmed the production of the film until March of this year. Producer and writer of the film Akiva Goldsman, teased the synopsis of the film a month prior in an interview saying the sequel would take place “decades” after the 2007 movie. Goldsman also shared that the sequel would stick to the original novel where there is an alternate ending.

In an alternate ending made for DVD, Neville makes a peace offering with the Darkseekers by turning over a female mutant that he used as an experiment, realizing he had become a monster to them. Afterwards he leaves New York with Anna and Ethan in search of other survivors instead of dying. However, the novel ends with Dr. Neville accepting that the Darkseekers have created their own society and humanity is extinct. 

Here you can watch the DVD alternate ending for the original film below.

I Am Legend (10/10) Movie CLIP - Alternate Ending (2007) HD

I Am Legend 2 has yet to receive an official trailer or release date. 

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Michael B. Jordan Takes Director's Chair for 'Creed IV'

Michael B. Jordan poses at the 2023 Oscar red carpet. (Mike Coppola via Getty Images)

By: Adonis Armstrong

Franchise producer Irwin Winkler announced the expansion of the Creed series with a fourth installment, revealing Michael B. Jordan's directorial role following his lead performance as Adonis Creed in Creed III. The third installment achieved a successful theater release in March, setting records with a $58 million opening weekend. Although MGM hasn't confirmed the news, Deadline was the first to report it.

Michael B. Jordan's role in the franchise commenced in 2015 with Creed, continuing through its sequels in 2018 and 2023. Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa featured in the initial two films as well.

Earlier this year, Variety also covered discussions between Jordan and Amazon, exploring the potential expansion of the Creed universe through supplementary film and TV projects.

Deadline also shared a video clip of Winkler discussing the project.

Irwin Winkler confirms Michael B. Jordan will direct ‘Creed 4’ #DeadlineContenders pic.twitter.com/nF4siAFslu

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 18, 2023

“We’re planning to do Creed IV right now — it’s in the works — and we think we have a really good story, a really good plot. We got a little delayed because of the strikes, but about a year from now, we’re going into pre-production.”

— Irwin Winkler

“Michael and the creative team had the beautiful vision from the start to create a wholly new and different experience for this movie,” he stated. “It had to be firmly cemented in what we all [know] the Creed and Rocky movies for… it had to have great action, boxing, but we also really examined what kind of movie we were making. And a lot of that, those early days with Michael, were spent crafting how we were looking at the Damian character, which is why I think everyone responded to the depth, not only on the page but also on the screen. You spend half the movie having deep sympathy for him and understanding his vulnerability.”

Will Creed IV follow a time jump for Adonis' daughter or introduce a new opponent? As 2024 and 2025 approach and Creed IV moves closer to pre-production, more details will likely emerge.

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Annual Academy Museum Gala to Honor Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey

Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey (Juan Veloz; Ruven Afanado)

By: Joshua Martin

On October 14, Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey are among the four nominees who will “receive their flowers” at this year’s event. Despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike which limits what promotion activities their members can do during the ongoing work stoppages, the Academy Museum of Pictures third annual fundraising gala will go on as planned. The Academy Museum Gala has become a key fundraising event for the Los Angeles movie museum since its opening in 2021.

Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey take the stage at Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations held at the PlayStation Theater on February 5, 2019, in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for THR)

Oprah will receive the “Pillar Award” for her “exemplary leadership and support for the Academy Museum.” Winfrey won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy’s Governors Award back in 2011. Meanwhile, Creed III actor/director Jordan will receive the “Vantage Award” which recognizes “an emerging artist or scholar who is helping to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema.” Other honorees include Meryl Streep who will receive the “Icon Award” and Sofia Coppola the “Visionary Award”. 

“We are excited to gather again at our third annual Academy Museum Gala to celebrate the power, global impact, and indelible importance of cinema. I am truly honored to recognize four artists, Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola, whose creativity and passion have inspired and shaped our culture in such powerful ways.”

— Director and President of the Academy Museum

The gala will raise money for the Academy Museum’s exhibitions and screenings, plus education and community initiatives. 

The Academy Museum Gala will be held on October 14, 2023 in Los Angeles.

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Michael B. Jordan Receives A Star on the Hollywood Half of Fame

Michael B. Jordan kneels in front of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

GETTY IMAGES

By: Omar Cook

With Creed III set to release in just two days, Michael B. Jordan is set to have an iconic month of March with it kicking off by receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Wednesday. Jordan is making new strides with his directorial debut coming with Creed III. To star and direct in a major Hollywood film is a tall task, but Michael B. Jordan has shown that he can excel with the added weight on his shoulders.

Michael B. Jordan will reprise his role as Adonis Creed alongside Johnathan Majors, who plays Jordan’s rival in the movie. Majors was at the ceremony joined by Creed director Ryan Coogler as the both of them spoke on Jordan’s behalf.

"Michael, to me, represents a mythical character. I don't think it's an act of luck or an act of chance that so many people see him as Adonis [and] that he was cast as Adonis. He has taken this story and pushed it forward... I don't think that's a coincidence" Majors said.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 01: Michael B. Jordan (C) and family attend the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Ceremony honoring Michael B. Jordan on March 01, 2023 in Hollywood, California.

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It’s been an amazing journey for Jordan, first making his acting debut in a 1999 episode of The Sopranos and his first principal movie role in 2001 sports drama, Hardball.

Jordan spoke about the advice he would give to his younger self stating, "stay optimistic, stay faithful, stay true to yourself [and] always keep a full, kind heart. The universe will make your wildest dreams come true."

Jordan also reflected on his late friend, Chadwick Boseman, mentioning that he was looking down on them. Ryan Coogler shared his admiration. “It's been a ride of a lifetime...watching him blossom” Coogler said. “From Newark, New Jersey, bro, to walking in front of driving cars to having your name on this street, bro, God d**n!'“

Ryan Coogler & Jonathan Majors Talk Creed lll, Black Panther And Why Michael B. Jordan Is The Man

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