Like one of the undead, the sequel to World War Z has been shuffling around in limbo for years now, refusing to truly die. And like one of World War Z’s running zombies, the sequel is sneaking up a lot faster than you’d expect. According to a new interview, not only is World War Z 2 still alive, but it still has some major names attached and is set to go into production next summer.
Speaking to Variety, producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner offered an update on the project. “We’re starting to shoot in June,” said Gardner, adding: “What more do you need to know? Brad Pitt is Gerry Lane, he’s back, David Fincher is directing…” The pair confirmed that Utopia and Black Sea writer Dennis Kelly has been working on the script – but claimed that the current version isn’t quite there yet. “We’re still working on the script, but he’s done an amazing job and it’s going to be great,” said Kleiner.
Despite a rocky production and very few ties to the source novel, Marc Forster’s 2013 World War Z turned out to be a solid piece of action-horror – though it remains to be seen how a sequel will fair if it comes out nearly seven years later. It will mark Fincher’s first film project since 2014’s Gone Girl, with the director spending the intervening years showrunning and directing episodes of Netflix’s Mindhunter.
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