After 15 years, Warner Bros. is finally moving forward with I Am Legend 2, a sequel to the 2007 sci-fi/horror hit. Will Smith starred in the original I Am Legend, a critical and commercial success directed by Francis Lawrence. I Am Legend was based on the classic novel of the same name by the late Richard Matheson, and despite being the first movie to share that title, was actually the third movie to adapt I Am Legend. Yet, many fans of the book would argue none of them have truly gotten things right.
Vincent Price starred in the first I Am Legend movie adaptation, a black and white film called The Last Man on Earth, in 1964. The second was 1971’s The Omega Man, which starred Charlton Heston, and brought I Am Legend movies into the world of color. It took a while for I Am Legend starring Smith to arrive, but most seem to agree that it’s the best of the three cinematic takes on Matheson’s novel, even if not perfect.
A follow-up to I Am Legend, originally planned as a prequel starring Smith, was teased for several years following the success of the movie, but ultimately didn’t pan out. It appeared that an I Am Legend 2 would never happen, that is until the surprising March 2022 announcement that a sequel is in the works. Here’s what’s known about I Am Legend 2 so far.
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I Am Legend 2 Is Officially Happening
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. It isn’t clear at present if director Francis Lawrence will also be back, as no directing deal has been signed as of yet.
I Am Legend 2 Cast: Will Smith, Michael B. Jordan, Who Else?
In what can best be described as a casting coup, not only will Will Smith be returning as Dr. Robert Neville for I Am Legend 2, but he’ll be joined by another A-lister in Creed franchise star Michael B. Jordan. What role Jordan will play is currently under wraps. No other cast members have been announced so far, but it would make sense for surviving I Am Legend characters Anna (Alice Braga) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan) to also come back.
I Am Legend 2’S Story: How Does Will Smith Return?
Of course, the milliond-ollar question surrounding I Am Legend 2 is how exactly the sequel will explain the return of Will Smith’s Neville. Neville sacrificed his life to ensure that Anna and Ethan would escape his home with a cure for the Darkseeker virus at the end of I Am Legend. One unorthodox way I Am Legend 2 could retcon Neville’s death is by treating I Am Legend’s well-known alternate ending as canon, in which Neville survives, and leaves with Anna and Ethan. It could also be possible that this new film with be part-sequel/part-prequel, and feature Smith’s Neville only in flashback scenes, with Jordan’s character featured in the present. Beyond Smith, another big question the sequel will need to answer is whether the Darkseeker virus cure proved effective, and if so, whether human society has become dominant again in the last 15 years.
I Am Legend 2 Release Date Prediction
At this early stage, Warner Bros. hasn’t given any indication as to when I Am Legend 2 will begin filming, much less when it might be released. That said, it will almost certainly be a big budget blockbuster, and thus require a long time to shoot, and even more time to do post-production special effects. Even if I Am Legend 2 begins filming before the end of 2022, a theatrical bow anytime before 2025 seems doubtful.