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I Am Legend 2: Everything we (think) we know about the sequel

Briley Kenney
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Will Smith wades in tall grass
Warner Bros.

I Am Legend 2 is coming.

Love it or hate it, I Am Legend was a commercial success, grossing over $585 million at the box office worldwide during its 2007 release. Based on Richard Matheson’s iconic novel and 1971’s The Omega Man adaptation, the original film followed Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, as the sole survivor of a man-made plague. Well, guess what? I Am Legend is finally getting a direct sequel over a decade later.

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Here’s everything we (think) we know about the sequel: I Am Legend 2.

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Will there be an I Am Legend 2?

I Am Legend (2007) Official Trailer #1 - Sci-Fi Thriller

Yes. The sequel’s writer, Akiva Goldsman, has confirmed that I Am Legend 2 is coming, but most details are unknown. Thanks to speculation, we know some juicy tidbits, but Will Smith himself has confirmed one major update. We’ll get to that. Let’s discuss.

Do we know the cast of I Am Legend 2?

Will Smith has confirmed he will reprise his role as Robert Neville, but he’s also teased that Michael B. Jordan will join him. We don’t know anything about Michael’s character yet, so everyone will have to keep their eyes and ears open for more details. Don’t worry. We’ll update this post when we know more. The original is definitely one of Will Smith’s most iconic roles, so it’s good to see him returning.

Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan will also serve as producers for the sequel. Akiva Goldsman is writing it, and there are rumors that Alice Braga wants to return as her character, though the latter has not been officially confirmed yet. Seeing as her character Anna survives at the end of the first film, it’s a real possibility.

During an interview with Collider, Braga made it clear where she stands. She was shocked to hear they’re doing a sequel, saying, “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?” I’m a huge a Akiva fan, I think he’s such a wonderful writer, and he basically was the first writer that I got to see the [work part] close from coming to the US. 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.”

What are your thoughts on Alica Braga reprising her role as Anna Montez?

What will I Am Legend 2 be about?

I Am Legend scene with Neville in bath tub.
Warner Bros.

Of course, we don’t know precisely what the entire movie’s runtime will show us, but Goldsman has revealed some basic information. Instead of following the first movie’s ending, it will more closely represent the ending of Matheson’s novel and the alternate ending for the 2007 movie — Neville survives in those versions.

“We trace back to the original Matheson book and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” says Goldsman.

“What Matheson’s [novel explains is] that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”

It sounds like this version will be decidedly more post-apocalyptic, emphasizing the creatures and how they’ve transformed the world Neville and the other survivors now live in.

In an interview with Deadline, Goldsman said he will be heavily inspired by the recent HBO show The Last of Us. “I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?”

That’s titillating and may give us a clue as to how I Am Legend 2’s world and environment will look. The first was a movie we all should have been paying attention to pre-COVID, so it will be interesting to see where the sequel takes us in regard to social commentary.

Is there an official I Am Legend 2 trailer?

No, there are no official trailers or teasers available yet for I Am Legend 2.

However, there are a ton of fan-made and concept trailers out there, many of which use footage from the first film.

Is there an I Am Legend 2 release date?

No official or projected release date has been announced. Moreover, the production hasn’t even begun shooting yet. It will be a while before we get additional news about the release, so stay tuned!

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Briley Kenney
Briley Kenney
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