2013’s zombie apocalypse adventure, World War Z, might be getting a sequel after all, with producer and leading man Brad Pitt seemingly calling in a favor from Seven and Fight Club director David Fincher.
The Hollywood Reporter claims Pitt, Paramount and Skydance have been in talks with Fincher to helm World War Z 2, and the director is “surprisingly open to the idea,” despite a noted preference for more cerebral scripts over tentpole blockbusters.
Variety reports Pitt reached out to Fincher after J.A. Bayona left the project to direct the sequel to Jurassic World. Fincher and Pitt have worked together on several films in the past, including Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Fincher hasn’t directed a feature film since Gone Girl in 2014, though he recently shot a crime drama pilot for Netflix called Mindhunter. Pitt and Fincher have produced some excellent films together in the past (well, not Benjamin Button, but definitely the other two), so the pairing could bode very well for the sequel to World War Z.
Despite a somewhat mixed reception from moviegoers and fans of Max Brooks’ original novel, World War Z was a hit for Paramount, grossing more than $540 million worldwide.
World War Z 2 had tentatively been scheduled for a June 2017 release, though this is likely to be pushed back significantly with the change in directors.
What would you like to see in a sequel to World War Z? Do you think Fincher and Pitt teaming up is a promising sign? Let us know in the comments!
