It’s been more than 15 years since the iconic post-apocalyptic drama I Am Legend was released, and ever since, the fans have been awaiting a sequel. Francis Lawrence’s 2007 horror sci-fi which was based on the book of the same name by Richard Matheson and soon became an instant commercial success. In addition, the movie has since been regarded as one of the strongest entries in Will Smith’s filmography.

In the first movie, we saw Robert Neville (Will Smith) attempting to find a cure for humanity and in the process sacrificing his life while successfully helping his fellow survivors, Anna and Ethan, to escape. The heart-wrenching, gripping storyline has led the viewers to wonder if there will be a sequel, and if yes, when it will actually release.

When is the sequel coming out?

Much to the fans’ delight, a sequel, I Am Legend 2 was confirmed in 2022, and in early 2023, filmmaker Akiva Goldsman confirmed that Warner Bros. is still working on it. Goldsman shared some details about the upcoming project with Deadline, where he stated that his new project which will start a few decades later into the future (from the first film) and that it is hugely inspired by the HBO post-apocalyptic adventure series, The Last of Us. Speaking on the subject, he said:

“This will start a few decades later than the first. 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 will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the empire state building, but the possibilities are endless. We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film. What Matheson was talking about was 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.”

However, this invites the question as to who would be cast as the protagonist and most significantly, who can live up to the phenomenal performance delivered by Will Smith in the first installment. That being said, it’s already confirmed that Smith will reprise his role as Neville alongside Creed III actor Michael B. Jordan.

The main question hanging over folks’ heads relates to whether or not Smith’s character is dead in the first movie. As a result, many are wondering in what way he could return in the long-awaited sequel. And as it turns out, the alternative ending of the original film will serve as the foundation of the upcoming sequel.

In other words, the sequel would be a continuation of a proposed ending where instead of dying, Neville partners with the leader of the infected mutant who he doesn’t see as a threat but rather, as a helpless creature with the ability to communicate. He is captured by a group of mutants who, upon realizing that he has the cure, start to equally respect and fear him. This ending is loyal to Matheson’s book and will add an intriguing plot point for the new movie to carry on.

While information about the upcoming sequel remains scarce, the audience is eager to know the potential release. Up till now, there is no official release date for the movie, but it’s speculated that it will be released sometime in mid to late 2024.

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