I love Burton's films (Sweeney Todd was my top film for 2008) and I love Johnny Depp; these two have yet to let me down and I do not think it will begin here.
The film is going to be shot with a mix of live action and motion capture, a la Beowulf. I have not seen any dates yet for start of production.
Will Smith to Star in I Am Legend Sequel
I guess it was just a matter of time before Warner Brothers figured out a way to do it. Any movie that makes a good deal of money becomes a prime candidate for being tagged with the word "franchise." Considering the huge success of I Am Legend, it was no secret that a sequel was wanted. The big question was how to do it, considering Will Smith's character was killed at in the first film. Well, Bloody Disgusting is reporting that a prequel will be made and will keep Smith in the lead role.
In addition to the return of Will Smith, director Francis Lawrence is also returning to sit in the director's chair. Akiva Goldsman will be among the producers, and the screenplay will be penned by D.B. Weiss, whose debut screenplay is in the process of being produced now.
The story will be a prequel that chronicles the final days in New York City prior to the release of the apocalyptic virus. Am I interested in seeing this? Sure; however, I am not sure it will be any good. I mean, we already know that Smith's Robert Neville is doomed, and he is not quite the titular legend until the second film. Frankly, I am having trouble cracking through the idea to find a compelling story underneath. I guess that's why I'm not a screenwriter.
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Article comments
1 - Brad Laidman
I love Ebert - he's got some biases that I understand, but he's always got his heart in the right place and he's always eloquent.
Don't ever expect Roger to give a bad review to Spike Lee or Martin Scorcese, but I can live with that.
It's interesting because I live in Cleveland and spent all morning reading about how the Cleveland Plain Dealer took their expert classical music critic off of his beat after 16 years for being too negative toward the Cleveland Orchestra.
2 - Jordan Richardson
Great piece by Ebert. Thanks for providing that, Chris. I'm really enjoying your news bites. Cool stuff!
3 - Chris Beaumont
Thanks Jordan, just trying to expand what little I can offer. Sometimes these things are just great reads (not my comments, the original columns), and I just love Ebert, the guy is above all else a fan of movies. Not many "get it" the way he gets it.