In 1954, legendary sci-fi author Richard Matheson released his postapocalyptic epic I Am Legend, about a lone human survivor in a world overrun by vampire-like beings. The story has been adapted for film three times, first in 1964 as The Last Man on Earth and again in 1971 as The Omega Man.
But more recently, Will Smith starred in I Am Legend in 2007. Despite the fact that the third adaptation seemingly had a definitive ending, Warner Bros. is moving forward with I Am Legend 2, and Smith is expected to reprise his role as Robert Neville.
Although the sequel may still be years away from hitting theaters, we’re sharing everything we know about I Am Legend 2.
Who’s starring in I Am Legend 2?
Smith will be joined by Michael B. Jordan, who is attached to be the co-lead of I Am Legend 2. No details have been revealed about which character Jordan will play, but his star power is arguably on par with Smith’s. In addition to headlining the Creed trilogy and directing Creed III, Jordan has had leading roles in the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, Black Panther, Just Mercy, and Without Remorse.
Alice Braga, who co-starred as Anna in I Am Legend, told Collider in 2023 that she was not approached about I Am Legend 2. But she’s open to returning as well.
“I was super surprised and very curious,” Braga said. “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?’ … It was my first American film, I was very excited to hear that they were continuing with the movie. I hope they do! I don’t know where they are with it, but I hope they do.”
Who is directing I Am Legend 2?
As of April 2024, I Am Legend 2 does not have a director attached. The original screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman, is returning for the sequel. However, the director of the first film, Francis Lawrence, isn’t currently attached to the project.
What happened in I Am Legend?
Three years after the outbreak that devastated the world, Neville was seemingly the only human left in New York City. Everyone else was transformed into the vampire-like Darkseekers who can no longer survive in direct sunlight. Neville’s only companion was a German Shepherd called Sam, and he spent his days searching for a cure to the Darkseekers’ condition. During the nights, Neville and Sam hid in a heavily barricaded laboratory.
Neville also continuously left radio messages for any other human survivors before a he finally caught a female Darkseeker and began experimenting on her with his potential cure. After losing Sam to a Darkseeker trap, Neville almost gave into despair before he encountered two humans: Anna (Braga) and a boy named Ethan (Charlie Tahan). Soon after, the Darkseekers attacked Neville’s lair in force. Before they were overrun, Neville cured the female Darkseeker and gave a sample of her blood to Anna for safekeeping. While Anna and Ethan slipped away, Neville sacrificed himself to kill all of the attacking Darkseekers in the hope that his cure could save the rest of humanity.
How can Smith return if his character died in the first movie?
It’s true that Neville died in I Am Legend, but that wasn’t the ending that the filmmakers originally shot. The DVD and Blu-ray contain the alternate ending where Neville realized that the attacking Darkseekers only wanted to recover the female he captured. In a moment of empathy, Neville released the female and apologized to the Darkseekers before they left without any further violence. Neville also realized that he had become the monster in their eyes, so he abandoned his research and left his lab alongside Anna and Ethan.
This will be considered the canonical ending in I Am Legend 2, since it explains Neville’s survival. Presumably, there will be another cut of the original film that features this ending edited back into the movie before the sequel arrives.
Is I Am Legend 2 currently filming?
No. As of June 2024, I Am Legend 2 has not formally begun production. However, Jordan provided People Magazine with an update on where things stand on the project.
“We’re still working on the script and getting that up to par,” Jordan said. “It doesn’t have a release date or anything like that. I’m not sure exactly where we’re going to be filming that one, but I’m really excited to get in front of the camera with [Smith]. Being somebody that I’ve looked up to for a really long time, to be able to work with Will is something I’m really looking forward to. I’m really excited.”
Smith echoed that sentiment during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“[We have some] really solid ideas [about the sequel],” Smith said. “I think [Michael and I are] going to make it on screen together. That dude is the truth, so I would love to do that.”
When will I Am Legend 2 be released?
Warner Bros. hasn’t set a date for I Am Legend 2 yet. First, a director needs to be found. After that, there will probably be an extended period for casting and preproduction. The script may be ready now, but this project is still a long ways off.
