At CinemaCon earlier this year, Paramount came out swinging with a showcase of a wide range of in-development titles that will constitute its plans for a larger theatrical slate than ever. Those plans included the return of some of the company’s heaviest-hitting franchises, like Star Trek, Transformers, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more, as well as the big announcement that Top Gun 3 was officially happening with Tom Cruise. In between the juggernauts was the confirmation that it would once again try to produce a sequel to Marc Forster‘s World War Z adaptation, though no details had been revealed about who would be involved in this attempt. Now, a return to the zombie-infested world is officially a go, and Brad Pitt is gearing up once more.
Paramount has officially announced that a follow-up to the 2013 apocalyptic blockbuster is back on, with its main star returning and a buzzy new director at the helm — Conclave helmer Edward Berger. Notably, the move pairs Pitt up with a familiar face, as Berger has also been working with him on A24‘s adaptation of The Riders, which wrapped filming earlier this year. The German filmmaker is just the latest to try and survive making the zombie-infested film. After the original soared with a box office haul over $540 million, there were several ill-fated attempts to create World War Z 2, with Forster at one point hoping to make a trilogy and both David Fincher and J.A. Bayona among the names attached. Paramount is hoping that this partnership will finally be the one to get the feature over the finish line.
Berger will work with a script by BAFTA-winning Together and Tony-winning Matilda: The Musical writer Dennis Kelly that will seek to build upon the adaptation of Max Brooks‘ bestselling 2006 novel of the same name. In addition to starring, Pitt is also producing alongside Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through his Plan B Entertainment banner. No other actors are currently attached, and plot details remain under lock and key for now.
What Happened in the Original ‘World War Z’?
In Forster‘s World War Z, Pitt played Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator caught in the chaos alongside his family when a fatal virus begins turning people into zombies en masse. With humanity about to be consumed by the disease, he spearheads the dangerous global search for a cure. His best hope is to find the origin point of the outbreak and, from there, find a way to stop the spread before it’s too late. The film was a stark departure from Brooks‘ novel, but critics and audiences still mostly enjoyed the more action-oriented ride, as it has a solid 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s no telling where Gerry and his loved ones could go next, after the film ended with a vaccine being created that effectively camouflages any injected humans from the zombies. Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Peter Capaldi, Ruth Negga, and Matthew Fox also starred.
World War Z 2 is currently in development.
via Collider