Movies & TV / News
Brad Pitt Reportedly Returning for World War Z Sequel, Edward Berger Attached To Direct
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
After multiple stops and starts, it looks like a sequel is once again moving forward for World War Z at Paramount Pictures. Deadline reports that Paramount signed a deal that will have Brad Pitt reprise his role as the first movie’s protagonist, former UN investigator Gerry Lane. Also, Conclave director Edward Berger is reportedly attached to direct the sequel, replacing Marc Forster for the first movie.
The first movie is based on Max Brooks’ 2006 book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. The movie reimagined the novel as a global disaster movie, with Pitt’s Lane seeking to uncover the source behind the undead apocalypse.
Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner will also produce the feature for Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment banner. Berger will serve as executive producer along with directing the feature from a script by Dennis Kelly.
World War Z 2 Rises From the Dead
The sequel has had various stops and starts over the years. Some years back, David Fincher was attached to direct it and reunite with his Se7en star. Fincher compared his version of the sequel to The Last of Us franchise. Paramount reportedly killed the project at the time due to budget issues.
The first World War Z movie faced significant issues during production, prompting heavy reshoots, with the entire final act being reshot. However, despite a hefty budget of around $200 million, the movie ended up grossing $540 million globally, with $202 million coming from domestic ticket sales. That appears to be enough for the current Paramount leadership to justify the sequel.
Plot details for the sequel are currently being kept under wraps. The first movie ended with Lane assisting a World Health Organization facility in devising a vaccine to camouflage the living from the zombies, helping civilians evacuate and enabling the military to combat the zombie threat.
Lane also reunites with his wife and kids in a secure area in Freeport, Nova Scotia. Although the zombie plague was not vanquished, it did feature a fairly happy, mostly optimistic conclusion.
