‘I Am Legend 2’ Faces More Delays as Writer Reveals “Series of Obstacles”

More than a decade after I Am Legend hit theaters, the long-awaited sequel is still struggling to get off the ground. Writer Akiva Goldsman says the project has encountered a “series of obstacles,” but insists the team is still working to make it happen.

Speaking with Radio Times, Goldsman acknowledged the difficulties surrounding I Am Legend 2 but said he isn’t giving up on the project.

“I have run up against a series of obstacles that I refuse to allow to defeat me,” Goldsman explained. “We’re pressing on. We’re trying. We’re doing everything we can to get it made.”

The sequel has been in development for years, with Will Smith previously confirming that he would return as Dr. Robert Neville. Michael B. Jordan is also attached to star in the follow-up.

Goldsman did, however, make one thing very clear: I Am Legend 2 won’t be repeating one of the original movie’s most heartbreaking moments.

The writer joked that another dog death is off the table after audiences reacted so strongly to the death of Neville’s beloved dog, Sam.

“I fear that I would not survive the backlash should we kill another dog,” Goldsman said.

The reaction was apparently much stronger than the response to the film’s much larger-scale death toll. As Goldsman pointed out, the movie essentially wipes out most of humanity, but audiences were far more emotionally affected by the loss of one dog.

For the sequel, the filmmakers are also taking a major cue from the alternate ending of I Am Legend.

In the theatrical version, Neville sacrifices himself after being surrounded by the infected. However, the alternate ending revealed that the creatures were capable of more complex behavior, allowing Neville to survive. That ending will serve as the foundation for the sequel, meaning the theatrical ending is effectively being ignored.

The story is expected to jump forward several decades.

Goldsman previously explained that the sequel will explore a world long after the events of the first movie, drawing inspiration from The Last of Us and its depiction of nature reclaiming civilization.

New York City could provide one of the film’s major visual backdrops, with the passage of time allowing the city to become overgrown and transformed after humanity’s collapse.

The sequel will also move closer to the ideas explored in Richard Matheson’s original novel, which questioned humanity’s place as the dominant species on Earth.

“What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end,” Goldsman previously explained. “That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore.”

With Smith and Jordan attached and Goldsman continuing to push the project forward, I Am Legend 2 remains in development. There’s still no release date, and the latest comments suggest there are more hurdles to clear before production can begin.

Stay tuned to GoreCulture for more updates on I Am Legend 2.