At one point following the critical and commercial success of his 2007 post-apocalyptic blockbuster I Am Legend, director Francis Lawrence entertained the notion of coming back with star Will Smith for prequel, but eventually that possibility trailed off and Lawrence casted doubt onto his involvement with the potential project. But today Warner Bros. announced a deal with Akiva Goldsman and Overbrook Entertainment, who have tapped screenwriter Arash Amel to write a follow-up to the $584M hit. Whether or not it'll be a prequel or some sort of direct sequel is unknown, though it's reportedly being created for Smith. Let's speculate away: Just how WB can possibly pull off another installment?

What makes the project a curious -- and, frankly, conspicuous -- one is the way in which Lawrence wrapped up I Am Legend, based on Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel. [Spoiler alert] Following a global pandemic that wiped out 90% of the world's population, scientist Robert Neville (Smith) had only just discovered a cure when, at the film's conclusion, he faced an onslaught of mutated vampire-people solo and seemingly met his own demise.

Of course WB wants their star and his famously potent box office draw to headline another I Am Legend movie. A prequel would explain Smith's presence most easily, but Deadline suggests that won't be the case. So how might they bring Smith back otherwise? Retcon the last scene in the first film, using the alternate ending in which Neville makes grudging peace with the vampire thingies? Maybe the survivors colony has cloning capabilities? Hell, why not bring in a long-lost twin brother for Neville who became a brilliant virologist as well - I Am Also Legend?

Whatever it turns out to be, at least it has a shot at being "one of the greatest movies ever made," amirite?

早在2008年,关于《我是传奇》筹拍前传的消息便引起了人们的关注,但此后却销声匿迹没了下文,而去年5月导演弗朗西斯·劳伦斯更是出面表态,“《我是传奇前传》已胎死腹中”(回顾详情);不过今天终于迎来了利好消息,华纳兄弟已与阿齐瓦·高斯曼和Overbrook娱乐达成协议,将共同续写《我是传奇》的新篇章。

目前华纳已找来《摩纳哥的格蕾丝》的编剧Arash Amel撰写剧本,而主演威尔·史密斯是否回归也取决于最终完成的剧本;不过需要指出的是,与此前明确了影片的前传性质不同,此次华纳并未把影片定义为前传或是续集,不过鉴于第一集最后的结局,如果不拍前传的话,除非影片重启一个全新的故事,否则很难令人信服地让史密斯回归。对于这一难点,华纳唯一的可行选择或许便是借鉴与《我是传奇》同龄 的《300勇士》的传统做法——拍摄《300勇士前传:阿提米西亚之战》。此外截至目前,对于影片已经个人宣判过死刑的导演劳伦斯尚未对华纳此举做出回应,所以最终他能否继续执导也还是个未知数。