Will Smith and director Francis Lawrence have officially signed on for a prequel to the worldwide smash hit I Am Legend. An outline has been handed in by Smith and Lawrence, and screenwriter D.B. Weiss will start work on his first draft as soon as possible. According to Variety, the plot will follow Smith's character in the days before the plague wiped out everyone in New York, but him. A prequel was the only way they could move forward with the production with Smith in the lead role, as he buys the farm at the end of 'Legend' trying to save humanity. The first film grossed a staggering $584 million in theatres worldwide, despite not being released in cinemas in the midst of the summer blockbuster season.