Zombie movies are very much like their own undead subject matter – impossible to kill. Despite being plagued with production issues and reshoots, World War Z – based on the book of the same name by Max Brooks – made an impression with moviegoers when it hit theaters back in 2013. With such success, sequels were pretty much a given – and now it seems progress has been made towards making that a reality.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has enlisted Dennis Kelly to pen the script for the next installment of the grandiose zombie adventure. Kelly is perhaps best known for his works on the British television show Utopia. Utopia itself follows a group of people dealing with a potential apocalypse, so the opportunity to write for a devastating zombie plague seems well within Kelly’s wheelhouse. J.A Boyana is slated to direct the film, with Brad Pitt signed on to return as lead character Gerry Lane, as well as take on producing duties.
The original World War Z deviated significantly from the source novel. That being said, the upcoming sequel has reportedly always been about deviating from the story of the original. Earlier this year it was reported that the sequel would differ from the original film in a major way, and much of that had to do with the likelihood that the filmmakers would adapt more stories from the novel – which is structured as an oral history of a zombie war that has already taken place. To get a sense of just how much the original World War Z centered upon the initial impact of the zombie outbreak, check out the trailer below to see for yourself.
No matter what, it would behoove Kelly to make sure that his work on the script is satisfactory the first time around. The original World War Z met with incredibly poor reception towards its third act when it was screened for test audiences. This led to exorbitantly expensive reshoots which completely altered narrative of the film – although in the end it still maintained a cohesive story. The source novel has a plethora of stories to adapt, ranging from the Battle of Yonkers (humanity’s first major loss against the zombie horde) to the story of a downed air force pilot trekking her way through the wilderness. No matter what, it seems as though the film will likely take elements from the book, but adapt them in a way that tells a story as it happens, rather than through flashbacks.
We here at Cinema Blend will bring you more details on World War Z 2 as they become available. As of now the project is slated for a June 9, 2017 release date.
