How the Sequel to Will Smith’s 19-Year-Old Sci-Fi Could Actually Deliver a Proper Adaptation After Decades

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Will Smith’s new sci-fi horror sequel is already highly anticipated, but it also offers a chance to improve on past attempts to adapt challenging stories for the screen. While some novels are considered impossible to film, many successful movie adaptations have shown that even complex books can be brought to life faithfully. It’s true that the book is often better than the movie, but there are also plenty of iconic films that equal or even surpass their original source material.

Despite a somewhat troubled past, the upcoming sci-fi horror film I Am Legend 2 is generating buzz. The original I Am Legend, released in 2007 and directed by Francis Lawrence (known for The Hunger Games), was based on Richard Matheson’s influential 1954 post-apocalyptic novel. While generally enjoyable, the first film changed the ending of Matheson’s book, and this wasn’t the first time the story from the author of Hell House had been adapted with alterations.

I Am Legend 2 Can Finally Be A Great Adaptation of Richard Matheson’s Novel

Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend, has been adapted for film several times, including as The Last Man on Earth in 1964 with Vincent Price and I Am Omega in 1971 starring Charlton Heston. However, none of these versions have truly captured the spirit of the original book. While Price’s film generally follows the book’s story, Matheson was unhappy with the final product and used a fake name for his writing contributions. Heston’s adaptation, on the other hand, is a dramatic and overly sentimental film focused on a romantic relationship.

While previous movie adaptations of Richard Matheson’s work didn’t quite succeed, the 2007 film starring Will Smith gets many things right. For the first third of the movie, the filmmakers bravely keep Smith mostly on his own, and he brilliantly portrays the character’s deep fear of being the sole survivor in New York City – a much more effective performance than previous actors’ overly dramatic or emotionless portrayals. Unfortunately, this strong start is ruined by a truly disappointing ending, where the movie loses its way and completely misunderstands the core message of the novel.

I Am Legend 2 Still Has A Huge Franchise Canon Problem To Overcome

The central twist in Richard Matheson’s novel reveals that Dr. Robert Neville, believed to be the last human in a city overrun by vampires, has completely misunderstood the situation. The creatures he’s been hunting aren’t mindless monsters, but intelligent, feeling beings – and from their point of view, he is the monstrous, cruel one. This impactful twist is what gives the book its memorable title. Unfortunately, the film adaptation replaced this ending with a more conventional one: the protagonist finding a cure and then destroying himself and his laboratory.

With Will Smith returning for I Am Legend 2, the movie will have to undo the original film’s ending. This means a significant plot change will be needed before the sequel can start, which might confuse viewers unfamiliar with the original movie’s alternate ending. To finally create a film adaptation of I Am Legend that truly reflects Richard Matheson’s book, the sequel will first need to explain away the previous ending and revise what’s already been established in the story.

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2026-05-11 04:11