After over 15 years, Warner Bros. is finally moving forward with I Am Legend 2, a sequel to the 2007 sci-fi horror hit, but I Am Legend 2 updates are still sparse. Will Smith starred in the original I Am Legend, a critical and commercial success directed by Francis Lawrence. The movie adaptation is based on the classic novel of the same name by the late Richard Matheson, and it’s widely considered a highlight of the big-budget CGI blockbusters that 2000s cinema is now synonymous with. The sci-fi flick also remains one of the strongest entries in Will Smith’s filmography.
Since the success of I Am Legend, there has long been talk of an I Am Legend 2. However, Will Smith was a big factor in this success, but his character Robert Neville died in the controversial climax. While a prequel had been suggested, an I Am Legend sequel was eventually greenlit, with Michael B. Jordan signing on and Will Smith shockingly returning, even though Smith rarely returns for sequels. Though it’ll be a while until an I Am Legend 2 trailer arrives, there are still enough I Am Legend 2 updates to get excited.
Latest I Am Legend 2 News
While I Am Legend 2 seemed stalled in development hell for some time, a February 2023 announcement for the I Am Legend sequel (via Deadline) clarified a lot of details. It was confirmed that the sequel would not follow the original theatrical ending, but instead act as a continuation of the alternate ending of I Am Legend in which Will Smith’s Robert Neville survives. This decision is a drastic one, as it means I Am Legend 2 will have to find a way to explain why it’s ignoring the end of I Am Legend — a detail which filmmaker Akiva Goldsman, who made the announcement, didn’t elaborate on in the Deadline interview.
Alice Braga, who played Anna in I Am Legend, has also weighed in on the in-development sequel. The actor didn’t know I Am Legend 2 was in development, noting, “I was super surprised and very curious. I was almost jumping on the phone and saying, ‘Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it?‘” Anna was an important character in the first movie, and as she survived in both the theatrical ending and alternate ending, where she became Robert’s traveling partner, it’d be easy to write her into I Am Legend 2.
I Am Legend 2 Is Confirmed
On March 4, 2022, reports confirmed that Warner Bros. was actively developing I Am Legend 2. In an encouraging sign for those who enjoyed the first I Am Legend, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is returning to pen the script. An I Am Legend sequel, originally planned as a prequel starring Smith, was teased for several years following the success of the original movie, but it ultimately didn’t pan out. However, though I Am Legend 2 updates are becoming more common, it still isn’t clear at present if director Francis Lawrence will also be back, as no directing deal has been signed as yet.
I Am Legend 2 Release Date
Will Smith returning in I Am Legend 2 is great news, but the I Am Legend sequel does not yet have a release date. However, in the Deadline interview in which writer Akiva Goldsman detailed the new story elements, he suggested the sequel was being fast-tracked as part of his new first-look deal with Warner Bros. Realistically, if the sequel really has broken free from development hell, a likely I Am Legend 2 release date would be in 2026. Goldsman still has to complete the script, then there’s pre-production, then production, and given how much digital effects the movie will need, post-production will likely be a long process too.
I Am Legend 2 Cast
Smith will be returning as Robert Neville in I Am Legend 2, and the reveal that the alternate I Am Legend ending is the basis for the sequel means his appearance won’t just be in flashbacks or footage of Neville’s experiment logs. Since I Am Legend grossed over $500 million (via Box Office Mojo), it’s easy to see why Warner Bros. is making serious continuity changes to bring back Smith. Recent I Am Legend 2 updates also confirmed that Creed star Michael B. Jordan will join the I Am Legend 2 cast, though there’s no information about the character he’s playing yet. Given Alice Braga’s comments, it’s possible she also could be returning.
I Am Legend 2 Story Details
Goldsman gave some pivotal I Am Legend 2 updates regarding the movie’s story details. In his interview with Deadline he confirmed I Am Legend 2 will take place decades after the events of the first movie, suggesting some big changes to the post-apocalyptic world. He also confirmed the new movie would do away with the original ending in which Neville sacrifices himself to kill the mutants and allow Anna and Ethan to escape. Instead, the sequel will follow the alternate ending that was closer to the I Am Legend book.
In the ending that I Am Legend 2 will follow, Neville realizes the infected aren’t there to kill him, but rather to save one of their own — the infected that Neville captured as a test subject. He then understands that they see him as a monster, just as he sees them. In the same interview, Goldsman also pointed to The Last of Us as a strong inspiration for the sequel. He admitted that he was interested in examining a post-apocalyptic world after nature had taken over once again. He also hinted that the story would take place in New York City just as I Am Legend did.
The fact that Goldsman intends to make the sequel much closer to the source material is the best I Am Legend 2 update possible, as I Am Legend 2 can delve into the idea of zombie societies and how they separated themselves into different social groups. In the novel, there were so many different types of the infected, including ones that were more evolved and could act like they were uninfected. This also gives credence to the theory that Michael B. Jordan will play a Darkseeker. With all the different societies of zombies, the creative team can have a field day when it comes to designing I Am Legend 2’s feral creatures.
