Jan 27 2009 Samson is Coming... to the FUTURE!

Bibles stories are BORING, right? WRONG. You're thinking of Biblical stories that aren't set IN THE FUTURE. Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. had paid over a million dollars (that is so much) for pitch that puts a futuristic spin on the Samson and Delilah story:

In a seven-figure upfront deal, Warner Bros. has acquired "Samson," a pitch for a futuristic retelling of the Samson and Delilah story.

WB prevailed in a three-studio bidding battle. The seven-figure deal comes despite a sluggish year so far for deals on material. Aside from a strong writer and director, the project sparked bidding because it had a big idea that can be shaped into a tentpole project in which the concept is the star.

Scott Silver will write the script, and Francis Lawrence will direct. Erwin Stoff will produce through 3 Arts.

I can see the teaser already...

Title: From the people who brought you I Am Legend

A familiar voice-over: "Delilah X, never cut these hairlike tubes of fluid that feed futuristic super strength serum into my head."

Cut to: A bald Will Smith screaming in agony.

Title: SAMSON

And before you know it, it's made $200 million.

Sep 26 2008 Soon You Will Learn Exactly How Will Smith Became 'Legend'

Warner Bros. has decided they'd like to add a second film to the I Am Legend catalog, and, after someone explained that Will Smith dies at the end of the last one (spoiler!), they've decided it will be a prequel. From Variety:

The plan is for Smith to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct. Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with James Lassiter, Smith’s partner in Overbrook Entertainment.

The studio has set D.B. Weiss to write a script that is based on a detailed outline that was hatched over the past few months by Smith, Goldsman, Lassiter and Lawrence.

The prequel will chronicle the final days of humanity in New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Smith’s character the lone survivor among a mutated mob in the city.

If the prequel does well, will there be a third film, where we go further back, to an even less relevant time and story? Because I'm hoping we can keep going back, eventually building a bridge from I Am Legend to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where the entire plague was in some way caused by the Carlton Dance.