Resurgence of the World War Z Franchise Speculated, Following Cancellation of World War Z 2
World War Z 2 Back in Development with Brad Pitt Returning as Lead
After years of uncertainty, World War Z 2 is officially back in development and has become a priority for Paramount under new leadership, with Brad Pitt expected to return as the lead. However, it remains unclear if David Fincher will direct, as there were past creative disagreements between him and the studio.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has explicitly put World War Z 2 on the priority list along with other big franchises like Top Gun 3 and Star Trek, signaling a strong interest in reviving the sequel project. Brad Pitt, who led the original 2013 film, is slated to return as the lead in the sequel, reuniting him with the franchise after years of uncertainty.
David Fincher, originally attached to direct the sequel before the project was shelved around 2019 due to creative disagreements with Paramount, has not yet been confirmed to return for the new development phase. The film remains in early stages of development, with no definitive production or release dates announced so far.
World War Z was a summer blockbuster in 2013, but it had many differences from the source material by Max Brooks. The film was inspired by the novel, but its story deviated significantly from the book, leading to some criticism from fans. Despite this, the film was a commercial success and remains one of Pitt's most successful commercial films to date.
The Paramount Skydance Corporation has named World War Z as one of its priorities for future movie projects, along with an interest in more horror and R-rated comedies for multiplexes. It was not clarified if the long-teased World War Z 2 from David Fincher would be the focus of the new project, or if Paramount is considering a different approach to the franchise.
In recent news, production for the spinoff of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood called The Adventures of Cliff Booth started last month, with Brad Pitt and David Fincher working together on the project. If Paramount is looking at more World War Z, one would guess they'd try to get ahold of Pitt to resume his leading man duties.
The recent box office haul for F1 has surpassed World War Z, but with the sequel now officially in development, fans of the franchise can look forward to seeing more of the post-apocalyptic world on the big screen.
Brad Pitt, having led the successful 2013 film World War Z, will reportedly return as the lead in the much-anticipated sequel, which is now officially back in development. Meanwhile, daily blend discussions about the project suggest that Paramount might be considering a different approach to the franchise, perhaps taking inspiration from the successful box office of films like From Up Holland (F1), in the movies-and-tv category of entertainment.
