Paramount has pulled the plug on the sequel to ‘World War Z’. David Fincher was attached to direct and Brad Pitt was returning to star. The sequel had been pushed back numerous times, most recently from a fall 2018 start-of-production to spring-early summer 2019. Filming was to have begun in Atlanta, but locations were also scouted in Spain, Sweden, and Texas. Paramount and producers at Pitt’s Plan B began making phone calls to crew members on Wednesday to inform them that the project would not be moving forward at this time.
It has not been revealed whether this is a temporary delay or if the sequel to ‘World War Z’ is dead for good. The first movie was a smash, earning $540 million worldwide in 2013. Reportedly, budgetary issues were behind this decision, but no further information is known.
The first ‘World War Z’, which was directed by Marc Forster, was also plagued with problems, including extensive reshoots after it was determined that the entire third act needed to be overhauled. The budget reportedly ballooned to $200-$250 million and toxic buzz seemed to doom the picture. However, once it hit theaters, audiences were receptive.
‘World War Z 2’ was originally to be directed by J.A. Bayona and was scheduled to come out in 2017. But in 2016, Bayona walked away. After a long courtship, Fincher signed on in 2017 and Paramount was excited at the prospect of reteaming Pitt with the man who had directed him in ‘Seven’, ‘Fight Club’ and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. But the sequel has still had to deal with issues. Most recently, due to delays, Pitt signed on to star in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. Meanwhile, Fincher went back to work on his acclaimed Netflix series ‘Mindhunter’.
At this point, it’s been so long since the first movie came out, it’s unclear whether the audience will still be there, should the sequel eventually get made.
What do you think? Are you still awaiting the sequel to ‘World War Z’?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
