The highly anticipated sequel to the 2013 hit film, “World War Z,” has been a hot topic amongst fans for years. With Brad Pitt as the lead character, Gerry Lane, the movie captured audiences worldwide and grossed over $540 million against a budget of $190 million.
However, fans have been waiting in vain for the “World War Z” sequel to hit theaters since it was officially put on pause in 2019. In this article, we explore the reasons why “World War Z 2” was canceled and what the future holds for the franchise. Is there any chance of a future release date?
Key Takeaways About “World War Z 2”
- Even though “World War Z 2” was set to have Brad Pitt producing and starring again, it has been stuck in “development hell” from the very beginning.
- Despite the reshoots and budget of the first movie, it still made $540 million at the box office which makes a solid case for its sequel.
- There have been many directors throughout the production but right now it looks like no one is attached to direct “World War Z 2” yet.
- China’s ban on zombie movies could be an issue when recouping costs since they are such an important global market in modern Hollywood films.
- If work kicks off again on “World War Z 2” then Brad Pitt will resume his role as Gerry Lane along with Mireille Enos who played his wife Karin in the first movie. However, David Fincher is no longer involved which would have undoubtedly led to an interesting sequel had he stayed on board.
- The plot of “World War Z 2” could draw real-life inspiration from current events or dive deeper into Max Brooks’ bestselling novel by focusing on humanity overcoming the zombie apocalypse similar to “The Walking Dead” series. However, due to changing trends within the horror genre, this may not make much impact if released today compared to when WWZ was initially released back in 2013.
Why was “World War Z 2” Canceled?
In February 2019, “World War Z 2” was canceled by Paramount Studios, much to the disappointment of fans worldwide. The sequel was initially planned as a trilogy and was scheduled for a June 9, 2017 release. However, with the departure of director J.A. Bayona, and Pitt’s busy schedule, the production team was faced with multiple challenges.
Another concern was China’s ban on zombie and ghost movies, which is a crucial market for Hollywood. The production team was uncertain about the commercial success of “World War Z 2” due to this ban, especially with the film demanding a bigger production than the first. With these factors, the production team found it difficult to estimate any box office collection.
What is the Cast and Plot of “World War Z 2”?
Although “World War Z 2” is not in production, it’s clear that Brad Pitt would have reprised his role as Gerry Lane. Mireille Enos, who played Gerry’s wife, Karin Lane, also confirmed that she would return. However, it’s been almost four years since the “World War Z” sequel was canceled, and it would require another interview with the stars to know their opinions on reprising the roles.
As the pre-production of the movie commenced, it quickly encountered several roadblocks. In 2014, Steven Knight originally submitted a draft; nevertheless, Paramount Studios chose to recruit Dennis Kelly so that he could rewrite it.
As for the plot, “World War Z” was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks. With no update on the production or script, it’s difficult to predict the plot of “World War Z 2.” At the climax of the first film, Gerry claims that there is still much left to be done, and the novel expands into another era, politically overpowered and changed due to the zombie invasion. If “World War Z 2” returns to production, it will be thrilling to see how the filmmakers craft a new adventurous world for viewers.
The original movie had an entirely different ending from Max Brooks’ novel so this time around they have multiple options when it comes to what kind of story they want to tell. One option would be drawing inspiration from real-life events that have happened since 2013 such as pandemics or natural disasters another option would be sticking closely to Brook’s novel for inspiration or even following modern trends within horror genres such as body horror or psychological thrillers. Whatever their choice may be, we can expect some surprises along with intense action sequences like in its predecessor.
The Cost and Possible Issues of WWZ2
When “World War Z 2” was announced back in 2017, it was said that Brad Pitt would produce as well as star in the movie. As far as we know, he’s still involved but has yet to comment on the film publicly. Since he is producing and starring again, one can assume that his salary alone could cost up to tens of millions of dollars—which could have a major impact on the production budget. Another issue could be China’s ban on zombie movies which would limit its potential audience if they decide to keep with this theme for WWZ2.
Who Will Direct “World War Z 2?”
The original director Marc Forster dropped out due to creative differences between himself and Pitt over script changes. Since then, numerous directors have been reported to join or possibly leave the project such as David Fincher, J.A. Bayona (Jurassic World), James Gray (Ad Astra), and more recently Dennis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049).
However, none of them are officially attached to the project yet. What’s clear is that David Fincher won’t be part of this team due to scheduling conflicts for his upcoming projects with Netflix.
What is the Future of “World War Z 2”?
At the moment, it seems like “World War Z 2” will never happen, with previous director Marc Forster stating in an interview with The Digital Fix, “I don’t think that sequel is coming anytime soon.” This is a sad update for horror movie fans, as both Paramount Pictures and Forster have stepped back from the sequel.
We know very little about “World War Z 2” right now but there’s no doubt that it has the potential to be just as big—if not bigger—than its predecessor if done correctly. For now, we’ll just have to speculate about possible plot points and who will ultimately take over directing duties for this highly anticipated sequel!
In conclusion, “World War Z 2” was canceled due to multiple reasons, including the departure of the director, Brad Pitt’s busy schedule, and China’s ban on zombie and ghost movies. While the future of the franchise remains uncertain, fans are still hoping for the sequel to reach its destination and bring elevated action and thrill to the big screen.
More Movie News from BuddyTV
Looking for more movie updates? Check out some more BuddyTV articles below.
- Brad Pitt Movies List: Ranked Best to Worst
- 10 Best Natural Disaster Movies Like “Geostorm”
- The 10 Best Movies of 2022
Senior Editor, BuddyTV
