Reshoots on major summer tentpoles aren’t unique. They are standard fare, and usually not a cause for concern. But when they are happening on a massive Paramount blockbuster – and they are revealed mere days after the studio moved another of its tentpole thrillers in G.I. Joe: Retaliation -- those of us who are paid to pay attention are going to sit up and speculate.
Marc Forster’s World War Z is due in theaters on June 21, 2013. Today, the UK Daily Mail reports that star Brad Pitt and his co-stars are reuniting in Budapest for seven weeks of additional shooting on the adaptation of Max Brooks’ post-apocalyptic novel. The story is massive in scope, documenting humanity’s decade-long war against zombies using first-person accounts from various conflict zones.
As the Mail reports, Forster wrapped shooting last summer, so this news is off-putting. Also, seven weeks is a very long time to merely patch up problems that might be plaguing the finished film. However, the news item has very little details about what’s being shot, or who from the cast is joining Pitt for the shoot. Also, it’s the Mail, so this could be taken with a grain of salt.
My bigger concern is with Forster as a director. After landing on several radars with the promising Monster’s Ball, Forster has delivered one of the worst James Bind adventures in recent memory (Quantum of Solace) and a well-meaning but muddled feel-good drama in Machine Gun Preacher. He seems more comfortable with character-driven work like Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell or the underrated Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp. But World War Z sounds like it’s going to be more of an action-heavy effort, and the notion of reshoots isn’t encouraging.
What do you think? Are these tiny cinematic band-aids meant to bolster a decent film? Or is Z is a little bit of trouble? We’ll see if this news means a shift in release date in the weeks to come.
