One of the architects of some of the most consistently bland movies of the 21st century—and also, admittedly, some pretty decent episodes of Fringe—has just been officially invited back to the drafting table. This is per Deadline, which reports that Warner Bros. has just signed a new multi-year first-look deal with Akiva Goldsman, the screenwriter behind such consistent cinematic shrugs as Batman & Robin; I, Robot; Rings; and, most recently, 2017 Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower, which bombed so spectacularly that Goldsman was functionally banished to TV for the next six years. (He spent his time in the wilderness over in Star Trek land, penning episodes of Picard, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds.)
But now he’s back, baby, propelled by apparent nostalgia for Constantine (which he produced, but didn’t write) and Will Smith zombie movie I Am Legend, both of which have previously been announced to be getting sequels starring their original stars—and which will now be the first two crown jewels in Warner’s crown of Goldsman. Technically the new deal isn’t just with Goldsman either; Warner Bros. has signed on with Weed Road Pictures, which Goldsman founded back in 2004, and which most recently produced a film adaptation of King’s Firestarter last year.
Goldsman gave a statement today, confirming some of the info we’ve seen before about Constwontine and I Am Still Legend (our titles, not Goldsman’s), including the fact that the second Legend movie will, not surprisingly, build from the alternate ending of the first movie where Will Smith did not die:
We’re starting with two projects that are fun and very much Warners; the sequel to I Am Legend, with Will and Michael B. Jordan, and the sequel to Constantine with Keanu Reeves that Francis Lawrence is going to direct. So I’m coming out of the gate fast. We’re doing it with JJ Abrams, and Francis and Keanu and I have been pretty deep in the story breaking stage.