The legal battle between Village Roadshow and Warner Bros. continues, with recent information revealing that several intriguing projects are now in development, including a new take on I Am Legend. Amongst the legal to and fro, a report from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that movies and series based on Sherlock Holmes, the Ocean’s 11 franchise, Ready Player One, I Am Legend, Where the Wild Things Are and Yes Man, amongst others are now in development.

Village Roadshow has taken issue with Warner Bros. Business strategy, with the former claiming that the latter is shutting them out of being a “co-owner and financial partner on dozens of projects that are being developed based on movies they share the rights to.” Warner Bros. meanwhile has since hit back, saying, “Village’s actions have been duplicitous and this dispute is equally contrived.”

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Putting all the twisted legality to one side, a new project based on I Am Legend is undoubtedly an intriguing prospect, particularly with the movie having been a serious talking point recently thanks to real-world circumstances. The most recent adaptation of the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson took the form of 2007’s I Am Legend directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith.

In the adaptation, Smith stars as Robert Neville, a scientist who is the last human survivor of a plague that has ravaged the world, transforming some humans into hostile mutants. Robert attempts to find a way to reverse the effects of the man-made virus by using his own immune blood. The parallels with recent events should be obvious to even the most unaware individual and even led to Will Smith deciding to clear a few things up.

What Will the New I Am Legend Project Involve?

     Warner Bros.

Details of what Warner Bros.’ new I Am Legend project will involve are thin on the ground, but there are several ways the story could go. A prequel to the Will Smith-starring I Am Legend was discussed back in 2008, and would have included both Smith and director Francis Lawrence’s return. The plot of the I Am Legend prequel (I Will Be Legend?) would have revealed what happened to Neville before the infected took over New York, detailing the death and destruction and exploring how he became the last man alive.

Smith went on to reveal further details, saying the prequel would have seen his character and a team going from New York City to Washington, D.C., and making their last stand against those infected with the virus. The project was eventually taken out of development, with Lawrence stating, “I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”

Since then, several other projects based on I Am Legend have been discussed. In 2014, the studio acquired a script entitled “A Garden at the End of the World,” which bared so many similarities to I Am Legend that it was rewritten with the intention of telling another story set within the same world as the Will Smith outing.

So, there are several options regarding what this I Am Legend project will be. Prequel, sequel, spinoff, or reboot? Which would you prefer?