‘I Am Legend 2’ Writer Admits the Sequel Is Hitting Serious Roadblocks, but Refuses To Give Up

Long-gestating sequels to beloved genre films have a way of testing fan patience, and few franchises have kept audiences waiting quite as long as Will Smith’s post-apocalyptic survival story. What began as an exciting reunion announcement back in 2022 has slowly stretched into one of Hollywood’s more drawn-out sequel developments, with updates arriving in scattered fragments rather than any real momentum.

That pattern continued this week when the writer behind both the original film and its long-planned follow-up offered his most candid assessment yet of just how difficult getting the project made has actually been. Rather than dodging questions about the delays, Akiva Goldsman chose to address them head-on.

Speaking with Radio Times, Goldsman revealed that “I Am Legend 2” has run into significant obstacles during development, though he insists he has no intention of letting them stop the project. “I have run up against a series of obstacles that I refuse to allow to defeat me,” Goldsman told Radio Times. “That is the truth of that one. We’re pressing on. We’re trying. We’re doing everything we can to get it made.”

Goldsman didn’t specify exactly what those obstacles are, leaving fans to speculate about whether the holdup involves scripting challenges, scheduling conflicts between Smith and co-star Michael B. Jordan, or broader studio-level hurdles. What is clear from his comments is that the project remains alive, even if its path to production has proven far bumpier than initially expected.

While the sequel’s overall timeline remains murky, Goldsman did offer one piece of concrete news that’s likely to reassure longtime fans. Addressing the lasting backlash over Sam’s death in the original 2007 film, the screenwriter confirmed that no dogs will die in “I Am Legend 2,” admitting he doesn’t think he could survive the fan reaction if the sequel repeated that particular gut-punch. He also noted, somewhat wryly, that the first film had already killed off nearly everyone on the planet between its opening shot and the next scene, suggesting the franchise has already spent its most controversial death.

The sequel was first announced back in March 2022, reuniting Smith with director-writer Goldsman while bringing Michael B. Jordan on board to both star and produce alongside his Outlier Society banner. Jordan previously described the project as still being in its scripting phase, telling reporters the team was working to get the story “up to par” without a release date or filming location locked in.

Goldsman has also previously discussed plans to lean more heavily on Richard Matheson’s original novella for the sequel’s direction, describing an interest in setting the story several decades after the first film, drawing comparisons to the extended post-apocalyptic timeline explored in “The Last of Us.” That approach would also incorporate elements of the alternate ending filmed for the original movie’s DVD release, in which Neville survives rather than sacrificing himself.

Between shifting creative approaches, an unspecified set of production obstacles, and years of incremental updates rather than concrete announcements, “I Am Legend 2” remains very much a work in progress. Goldsman’s latest comments suggest the team hasn’t given up, even if patience among fans continues to wear thin the longer the project sits in development.

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