Despite a series of production woes, extensive reshoots, and a bloated budget, last year’s summer zombie blockbuster World War Z defied the odds and managed to come back from the brink of death, earning generally favorable reviews and $540 million worldwide. Additionally, it became the highest-grossing film of Brad Pitt’s career and was quickly given the greenlight for a sequel.
The Impossible director J.A. Bayona will take the helm this time around, replacing Marc Forster, with Pitt returning as former United Nations employee turned zombie fighter Gerry Lane. Today, Variety is reporting that Academy Award-nominated writer/director Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Locke) has been hired to pen the screenplay.
At this point in time, we don’t know any plot details, or whether or not the film will use any material from Max Brooks’ popular novel, which served as the basis for the first film (which actually shared little to no similarities to it outside of the title). The first movie certainly left things wide open for a sequel, and with a writer of Knight’s caliber on scripting duties this time around, perhaps Paramount can learn from past mistakes and craft an exciting follow-up. We’re not too optimistic though. At least, not yet.
Tell us, are you excited for a World War Z sequel? Let us know in the comments below.