Will Smith was once known as one of cinema’s biggest blockbuster stars. There was a time when any movie released with his name attached was guaranteed money. But over the years, the 55-year-old believes he hasn’t commanded the same box-office numbers as he once did. And Smith wondered if the recent pandemic played a hand in this.
Will Smith reveals how the pandemic affected his box-office career Will Smith | Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Smith made it his mission to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He more than achieved this goal by starring in multiple hit films that drew a fortune and broke records. But every once in a while, Smith has wondered if his status as a major box-office draw might’ve lessened over the years. He once spoke of the jealousy he had toward stars like Dwayne Johnson, who was in his position.
“I...
Will Smith reveals how the pandemic affected his box-office career Will Smith | Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Smith made it his mission to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He more than achieved this goal by starring in multiple hit films that drew a fortune and broke records. But every once in a while, Smith has wondered if his status as a major box-office draw might’ve lessened over the years. He once spoke of the jealousy he had toward stars like Dwayne Johnson, who was in his position.
“I...
- 5/18/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A couple of years ago, it was announced that Warner Bros. and producer Akiva Goldsman‘s company Weed Road are working on a sequel to the 2007 Richard Matheson adaptation I Am Legend (watch it Here), which will see Will Smith reprising the role of Dr. Robert Neville, now joined in the cast by an unspecified character played by Michael B. Jordan. We haven’t heard much about I Am Legend 2 as time has gone by – but Entertainment Tonight caught up with Smith at a screening of the new Bad Boys sequel Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and he confirmed that it’s still in the works, adding that there are “really solid ideas” for this sequel.
Smith said that he and Jordan “had a couple weeks together about a month ago. I think it’s looking good. [We have some] really solid ideas… I think we’re going to make it on screen together.
Smith said that he and Jordan “had a couple weeks together about a month ago. I think it’s looking good. [We have some] really solid ideas… I think we’re going to make it on screen together.
- 5/17/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan have "really solid ideas" for the sequel to 'I Am Legend'.The pair are working on a follow-up to the 2007 post-apocalyptic movie and Will explained that the plans are "looking good" and they are hoping to get it to the big screen.Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Will said: "We had a couple weeks together about a month ago. I think it's looking good."(We have some) really solid ideas... I think we're going to make it on screen together. That dude is the truth, so I would love to do that."The original film starred Smith as scientist Dr. Robert Neville – the last living human in New York City after a devastating virus wipes out much of the population – but the character encounters other survivors at the end of the flick, leaving the door open for a sequel.However, Will knows that a sequel...
- 5/17/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
This article contains spoilers for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."
Wes Ball's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" isn't a reboot of the beloved franchise, nor is it a direct sequel to the most recent trilogy, but instead a standalone sequel set hundreds of years after the time of Caesar, the evolved patriarchal leader played by Andy Serkis. Caesar in this series differs from the character played by Roddy McDowell in the original, as this version sees apes and humans as unlikely equals rather than inherently viewing the latter as subservient, and even lets fellow ape Koba fall to his death for ruining the chance for apes and humans to have peace.
Humans are being ravaged by the simian flu, a condition that allows the apes to flourish from an evolutionary standpoint but wipes out a majority of humanity. Those that survive due to genetic immunity splinter into small communities,...
Wes Ball's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" isn't a reboot of the beloved franchise, nor is it a direct sequel to the most recent trilogy, but instead a standalone sequel set hundreds of years after the time of Caesar, the evolved patriarchal leader played by Andy Serkis. Caesar in this series differs from the character played by Roddy McDowell in the original, as this version sees apes and humans as unlikely equals rather than inherently viewing the latter as subservient, and even lets fellow ape Koba fall to his death for ruining the chance for apes and humans to have peace.
Humans are being ravaged by the simian flu, a condition that allows the apes to flourish from an evolutionary standpoint but wipes out a majority of humanity. Those that survive due to genetic immunity splinter into small communities,...
- 5/10/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Sophie Fiennes on Ralph Fiennes starring and staging T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets: “The thing that Ralph does brilliantly is the distribution in the space of the ideas. How he places them.”
In the second instalment with Sophie Fiennes we discuss her superb and faithful capturing of Ralph Fiennes’ stage production of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, Helen Gardner’s The Art Of T.S. Eliot, Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami, Samuel Beckett, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, Elizabethan and Metaphysical poetry.
Sophie Fiennes with Anne-Katrin Titze on T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets: “I possibly wouldn’t have been as interested in becoming a filmmaker if I hadn’t had become acquainted with that poem at a very early age.”
Within days of speaking with Sophie, by chance every film I happened to watch contained a quote from the Nobel Prize-winning poet.
In the second instalment with Sophie Fiennes we discuss her superb and faithful capturing of Ralph Fiennes’ stage production of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, Helen Gardner’s The Art Of T.S. Eliot, Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami, Samuel Beckett, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, Elizabethan and Metaphysical poetry.
Sophie Fiennes with Anne-Katrin Titze on T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets: “I possibly wouldn’t have been as interested in becoming a filmmaker if I hadn’t had become acquainted with that poem at a very early age.”
Within days of speaking with Sophie, by chance every film I happened to watch contained a quote from the Nobel Prize-winning poet.
- 4/25/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Akiva Goldsman is behind some pretty well-loved scripts, including "Practical Magic," "A Beautiful Mind," and the post-apocalypse flick, "I Am Legend." The 2007 adaptation of Richard Matheson's famous book of the same name was a massive success, taking in over $585 million worldwide at the box office. Goldsman inked a first-look deal with Warner Bros. and announced a handful of new projects to celebrate. One of those films is a sequel to "I Am Legend," with Michael B. Jordan joining Will Smith in the leading roles.
The first film takes place after a plague destroys all of humanity, turning folks that somehow survive into Darkseekers, vampiric, cannibalistic mutants that must avoid sunlight. Smith plays U.S. Army virologist Dr. Robert Neville, who lives an isolated life in a deserted Manhattan with his beloved German Shepard, Sam. Neville believes to be the only human left alive and spends most of his time desperately...
The first film takes place after a plague destroys all of humanity, turning folks that somehow survive into Darkseekers, vampiric, cannibalistic mutants that must avoid sunlight. Smith plays U.S. Army virologist Dr. Robert Neville, who lives an isolated life in a deserted Manhattan with his beloved German Shepard, Sam. Neville believes to be the only human left alive and spends most of his time desperately...
- 2/25/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
About eleven months ago, it was announced that Warner Bros. and producer Akiva Goldsman‘s company Weed Road are working on a sequel to the 2007 Richard Matheson adaptation I Am Legend (watch it Here), which will see Will Smith reprising the role of Dr. Robert Neville, now joined in the cast by an unspecified character played by Michael B. Jordan. This announcement has caused some confusion, as the version of I Am Legend that reached theatres ended with Neville sacrificing himself (using a grenade to blow up himself and the attacking “Darkseeker” creatures) to protect other characters. But that ending was actually a reshoot. The original ending was more low-key, with Neville making peace with the Darkseekers after realizing that he was the monster in the eyes of these creatures. That alternate ending was included on the special edition home video release of I Am Legend – and a couple days ago,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The upcoming “I Am Legend” sequel will be based on the alternate ending of the first film, in which Will Smith’s character lives, producer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman told Deadline this week.
In the theatrical version released in 2007, Dr. Robert Neville (Smith) sacrifices himself, but ensures the survival of the human race against the tide of bloodthirsty mutants. The alternative coda, in which Neville lives, was filmed and released on a special 2008 DVD.
Both Smith and Michael B. Jordan’s casting was announced last year, but how Smith’s character could return was left up in the air until now.
Also Read:
Who Dies in ‘The Last of Us’? A Complete Guide to the HBO Show’s Heartbreaking Deaths
As Goldsman explained, he’s going back to the original ending in Richard Matheson’s much-filmed 1954 novel. “We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as...
In the theatrical version released in 2007, Dr. Robert Neville (Smith) sacrifices himself, but ensures the survival of the human race against the tide of bloodthirsty mutants. The alternative coda, in which Neville lives, was filmed and released on a special 2008 DVD.
Both Smith and Michael B. Jordan’s casting was announced last year, but how Smith’s character could return was left up in the air until now.
Also Read:
Who Dies in ‘The Last of Us’? A Complete Guide to the HBO Show’s Heartbreaking Deaths
As Goldsman explained, he’s going back to the original ending in Richard Matheson’s much-filmed 1954 novel. “We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as...
- 2/17/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
The sequel to Will Smith’s 2007 zombie hit I Am Legend is taking influence from HBO’s beloved new series from the same genre, The Last of Us.
Writer-producer Akiva Goldsman revealed he is working on the movie with returning star Smith who will be joined by Michael B Jordan.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman told Deadline in an interview.
“I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-to-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?
“That will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the Empire State Building, but the possibilities are endless.”
The Last of Us follows the outbreak of brain-infecting Cordyceps fungus,...
Writer-producer Akiva Goldsman revealed he is working on the movie with returning star Smith who will be joined by Michael B Jordan.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman told Deadline in an interview.
“I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-to-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?
“That will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the Empire State Building, but the possibilities are endless.”
The Last of Us follows the outbreak of brain-infecting Cordyceps fungus,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
The sequel to Will Smith’s 2007 zombie hit I Am Legend is taking influence from HBO’s beloved new series from the same genre, The Last of Us.
Writer-producer Akiva Goldsman revealed he is working on the movie with returning star Smith who will be joined by Michael B Jordan.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman told Deadline in an interview.
“I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-to-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?
“That will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the Empire State Building, but the possibilities are endless.”
The Last of Us follows the outbreak of brain-infecting Cordyceps fungus,...
Writer-producer Akiva Goldsman revealed he is working on the movie with returning star Smith who will be joined by Michael B Jordan.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman told Deadline in an interview.
“I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-to-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?
“That will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the Empire State Building, but the possibilities are endless.”
The Last of Us follows the outbreak of brain-infecting Cordyceps fungus,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - Film
It’s been over a decade since Will Smith‘s 2007 hit I Am Legend was released into theaters, and as we recently learned, Warner Bros. is actively developing a fresh new sequel.
Will Smith is returning for the next chapter as star and producer. He’ll be joined on screen by Black Panther‘s Michael B. Jordan, who will also produce the upcoming film.
Akiva Goldsman, who adapted Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel back in 2007, is also returning to write the follow-up. Speaking with Deadline this week, Goldsman explains how a sequel to I Am Legend starring Will Smith is even possible all these years later. As you may recall, the first movie ends with Smith’s character saving the cure but dying in the process.
In the alternate ending, however, Smith’s Dr. Robert Neville lives to fight another day.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,...
Will Smith is returning for the next chapter as star and producer. He’ll be joined on screen by Black Panther‘s Michael B. Jordan, who will also produce the upcoming film.
Akiva Goldsman, who adapted Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel back in 2007, is also returning to write the follow-up. Speaking with Deadline this week, Goldsman explains how a sequel to I Am Legend starring Will Smith is even possible all these years later. As you may recall, the first movie ends with Smith’s character saving the cure but dying in the process.
In the alternate ending, however, Smith’s Dr. Robert Neville lives to fight another day.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,...
- 2/15/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
When "I Am Legend" was released in 2007, most people watching in crowded theaters probably never thought they'd see its awesome vistas of a deserted, windswept Manhattan in real life. Those images were chilling enough originally but take on an extra poignancy when revisited in a pandemic-era world, now that we've all gotten a glimpse of what an apocalypse might actually look like (albeit one without dodgy CGI mutants).
It's also strange watching a Will Smith movie after you-know-what at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. When it came out in 2007, "I Am Legend" was Smith at his most relatable, charismatic, and assured, carrying a blockbuster with a 150 million price tag almost single-handed with his sheer presence and star power. His journey to being taken seriously as an actor was an arduous and not always successful one, but the film marked the sweet spot in his transition. It's a big tentpole sci-fi movie with...
It's also strange watching a Will Smith movie after you-know-what at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. When it came out in 2007, "I Am Legend" was Smith at his most relatable, charismatic, and assured, carrying a blockbuster with a 150 million price tag almost single-handed with his sheer presence and star power. His journey to being taken seriously as an actor was an arduous and not always successful one, but the film marked the sweet spot in his transition. It's a big tentpole sci-fi movie with...
- 11/27/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Whether they’re male or female, old or young, they’ve illuminated some classic movies. Here’s our top 50 list of sci-fi heroes and heroines…
On the face of it, compiling a list of truly great sci-fi protagonists should be easy. Pick a load of familiar names from a hat, write some breathlessly adoring drivel beneath them, and head off to the pub to reward a job well done.
Except it was never going to be as simple as that – and compiling lists seldom is. For every character making an appearance in the list below, there were at least two other possible candidates who didn't quite make the cut. Some sci-fi heroes were removed, then quickly reinstated. The order was jiggled around, then reordered again.
At one point, your humble writer realised there were more than 50 entries, and then had the unenviable task of hunting back through to decide which poor soul to eliminate.
On the face of it, compiling a list of truly great sci-fi protagonists should be easy. Pick a load of familiar names from a hat, write some breathlessly adoring drivel beneath them, and head off to the pub to reward a job well done.
Except it was never going to be as simple as that – and compiling lists seldom is. For every character making an appearance in the list below, there were at least two other possible candidates who didn't quite make the cut. Some sci-fi heroes were removed, then quickly reinstated. The order was jiggled around, then reordered again.
At one point, your humble writer realised there were more than 50 entries, and then had the unenviable task of hunting back through to decide which poor soul to eliminate.
- 4/19/2012
- Den of Geek
Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films being made available by Netflix for instant streaming. Important Note: There may be some films that do not become available on the specified dates. This is merely a report of the most accurate release dates I can find, but is not directly confirmed by Netflix themselves.
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010)
Streaming Available: 06/29/2011
Synopsis: Since his tragic death from cancer at age 32, comedian Bill Hicks’s legend and stature have only grown, and this unique documentary tells his story, blending live footage, interviews and animation to fill in the details of a life cut short. A comic’s comic and unflagging critic of hypocrisy and cultural emptiness, Hicks was one of a kind, a Lenny Bruce for the late 20th century,...
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010)
Streaming Available: 06/29/2011
Synopsis: Since his tragic death from cancer at age 32, comedian Bill Hicks’s legend and stature have only grown, and this unique documentary tells his story, blending live footage, interviews and animation to fill in the details of a life cut short. A comic’s comic and unflagging critic of hypocrisy and cultural emptiness, Hicks was one of a kind, a Lenny Bruce for the late 20th century,...
- 6/28/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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