Fans of zombie movies are still waiting on a sequel to 2013’sWorld War Z, which was, despite some bumps in the road, a success for Paramount. The development process forWorld War Z 2has also been a little rocky so far, with the studio recently taking the sequel off of theirrelease schedulefor 2017. Paramount still wants the movie to happen and perhaps, more importantly,David Fincherwants to direct it.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,David Fincher, who worked withWorld War ZstarBrad PittonSeven,Fight ClubandThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, is “very creatively interested in directing the movie.” It was reported last year thatBrad Pittwas trying to courtDavid Fincherto directWorld War Z 2after directorJ.A. Bayonadeparted the project. Apparently, it worked. Here is what a source with knowledge of the situation had to say about it.
“He really would like to do it. It’s up to Paramount.”
David Fincheris a very in-demand director and oddly enough, Paramount hasn’t pulled the trigger on officially getting him to sign on the dotted line to doWorld War Z 2. What’s more is that, according to THR, the budget for the currently proposedversion of the sequelwouldn’t be an issue, as it would be less than the $190 million that was spent on the first movie, which wound up needing very significant reshoots to retool the entire third act. Apparently, according to this report, it is Paramount’sBrad Greywho is hesitant to giveWorld War Z 2the green light, even withDavid Fincheron board.
The fact thatFincheris at all interested in tackling a sequel to a massive blockbuster movie that he had nothing to do with is definitely surprising and it surely has a lot to do with his good working relationship withBrad Pitt. Thedirectorreportedly really likesDennis Kelly’s take on the script forWorld War Z 2.Dennis Kellyis the creator of the British showUtopia, which, interestingly enough, was being adapted for the U.S. byDavid FincherandGone GirlauthorGillian Flynn. The project ultimately fell apart at HBO, but that still means that there is already some connective tissue and working relationship that exists between the creatives forWorld War Z 2. So, why Paramount won’t give the go-ahead is a bit perplexing.
Despite the troubles that the firstWorld War Zfaced, it was still a very successful movie. It wound up grossing $540 million worldwide and was generally well received. It is also worth mentioning that, outside ofTransformers, Paramount really doesn’t have much in the way of viable franchises right now.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsbombed last summer, andStar Trek Beyonddidn’t meet expectations. Not by a long shot. So, something likeWorld War Z 2, with an A-list actor inBrad Pittand an A-list director inDavid Fincher, could be a very good thing for Paramount.
The ball seems to be in their court, but if they sit on their hands too long, it is very likelyDavid Fincherwill find something else to occupy his time. Originally,World War Z 2was set for release onJune 9, 2017, but Paramount recently removed the movie from the schedule, which didn’t come as much of a surprise since cameras hadn’t even started rolling yet. The studio reportedly wants to get the movie going and is hoping for a 2018 or 2019 release. Will it beDavid Fincherat the helm? If things go well, that seems like a strong possibility. We will be sure to keep you up to date as more details become available.
