Key Takeaways

  • Writer Akiva Goldsman says I Am Legend 2 is still alive despite “a series of obstacles,” and Michael B. Jordan is confirmed to join Will Smith in the cast.
  • Goldsman is promising the sequel won’t repeat the dog death that wrecked everyone emotionally in the first movie.
  • The project has been stuck in development since 2022, so I’m cautiously optimistic at best. I’ve heard “it’s still happening” before.

Jump to:

I Am Legend is one of those movies I still think about more than I probably should. Will Smith alone in an empty New York with his dog, that opening act is some of the best post-apocalyptic filmmaking of the 2000s. So every time I Am Legend 2 news pops up, I read it immediately. This week it popped up again, and my reaction is a mix of cautious hope and total skepticism.

The Update

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman gave a new update this week, and the honest version is that the sequel is still stuck. He said he’s run into “a series of obstacles that I refuse to allow to defeat me,” which is a very writerly way of saying the script isn’t there yet. But he also confirmed he’s still actively working on it and hasn’t walked away.

The bigger news buried in there is that Michael B. Jordan is confirmed to join Will Smith in the cast. His role hasn’t been detailed yet, but pairing those two is exactly the kind of casting that gets me interested even when a project has been stuck in limbo since 2022. The plot is reportedly picking up from the alternate ending of the first film, where Robert Neville leaves New York looking for other survivors instead of the theatrical ending most people remember.

About That Dog Promise

Goldsman also addressed the thing every single I Am Legend fan brings up first. The dog. He’s promising there won’t be a repeat of that scene, joking that “I fear that I would not survive the backlash should we kill another dog.” Honestly, good. That scene lives rent free in a lot of people’s heads for a reason, and I don’t need a sequel opening the same emotional wound just to prove it can.

My Take

Here’s where I land on this. I want I Am Legend 2 to happen. The first movie had a genuinely great concept that got a little undercooked in the third act, and a sequel built around Neville finding other pockets of humanity has real potential, especially with Michael B. Jordan in the mix. But this project has been “still happening” for three years now, and vague quotes about “obstacles” don’t move the needle for me.

I’ve watched enough long-gestating sequels turn into permanent limbo to not get my hopes up off one writer’s update. Ask me again when there’s an actual release date. Until then, I’ll take the Michael B. Jordan casting news and the no-more-dead-dogs promise as the two genuinely good things to come out of this.

If you need a reminder of why this franchise still matters, go back and watch the original. I’ve written before about movies from this era that still hold up, and I Am Legend belongs in that conversation even with its rough ending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is I Am Legend 2 actually happening?

It’s still in development. Writer Akiva Goldsman says he’s actively working on the script despite hitting obstacles, but there’s no release date or start of production yet.

Is Will Smith confirmed to return?

Yes, Will Smith is attached to reprise his role as Robert Neville.

Is Michael B. Jordan in I Am Legend 2?

Yes, Michael B. Jordan has been confirmed to join the cast, though his specific role hasn’t been revealed.

Will the dog die again in I Am Legend 2?

Writer Akiva Goldsman has said he does not plan to repeat the dog death from the first film.

What is the plot of I Am Legend 2?

Reports indicate the sequel will follow the alternate ending of the original film, where Neville leaves New York to search for other survivors.