World War Z 2: Why is it taking so long, and will it happen?

World War Z 2, the sequel to Brad Pitt's zombie blockbuster, won't be coming anytime soon, but fans still hope Paramount will see the light of day.

After being lost in development hell for so long, will World War II really happen? World War Z 2 is as true to the original as it is likely to emerge from development hell - with Brad Pitt back as producer and starring. As of now, no release date has been set for the sequel to the zombie blockbuster adaptation of Max Brooks' best-selling novel. The novel is an almost journalistic anthology that covers different elements of the zombie outbreak, so there's still plenty of story to tell in the World War Z universe. It's worth noting that despite World War Z's reshoots causing delays and a budget bump to $190 million, it did gross $540 million, making a solid case for a sequel.

Despite last-minute reshoots and changes, World War Z is still the highest-grossing zombie movie of all time, so World War Z 2 being sidelined shouldn't upset those who liked the first film frustrated. Pitt has been a driving force both in pitch meetings and in front of the camera, and momentum may resume soon. There's something very ironic in a zombie movie that refuses to die, so it will It's great to see World War Z 2 back on Paramount's radar. There's certainly enough interest in World War Z 2 to warrant its development. It's just whether everything can be coordinated to make WWII possible. Here's the latest update for World War Z 2, and why it's taking so long.

World War Z 2's Delays Explained - Is It Canceled?

In February 2019, Paramount canceled World War Z 2. The pre-production phase of the film's development encountered several obstacles. All the way back in 2014, Locke and Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight submitted a draft, but Paramount brought in Dennis Kelly (creator of the tragically unfinished British thriller Utopia) to do the rewrite. It looks like a rerun of the first film's production process -- a heavy rewrite that could muddy the vision. Director candidates are also a revolving door. Juan Antonio Bayona, who heads the orphanage, enlisted in the army in 2013. Then, due to other commitments, he left. Bayona ended up joining the Jurassic World sequel.

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt, not only a producer but also a hot leading actor, switched to a role in Star Quest, causing further delays. After this, Pete A strong performance in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood further delayed the sequel. But in all of these other films, Brad Pitt remained in World War Z 2, showing that he still wants to keep the project moving forward. As of right now, the sequel probably won't land until 2024 or 2025, should it start moving again.

Another issue is China's ban on zombie and ghost movies. As an important global market with significant influence in modern Hollywood, Paramount may hold back on an uncertain investment. Considering the production cost of "World War Z," Paramount is likely to worry about not being able to release the film in the Chinese market and recoup its huge budget. All in all, the return of World War Z 2 doesn't look too rosy, as China's ban on certain movie elements isn't going away anytime soon. That said, the team behind the World War Z sequel has bounced back from worse.

Brad Pitt Is Returning For World War Z 2 (If It Happens)

If work on World War Z 2 begins again, Brad Pitt will reprise his role as Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator who travels the world to find The way to end the zombie apocalypse. At the end of the first film, Lane is reunited with his family in a zombie-free safe zone. Gerry also came up with a plan to vaccinate the populace against a virus that turned humans into zombies, and it went into production by the time the credits rolled, and the survivors actually went on the offensive against the zombies. Based on how the original film ended, World War Z 2 could show how the world can overcome the kind of apocalypse that destroyed it in the Walking Dead franchise.

Mireille Enos also wanted to return to WWII, having played Gerry's wife Karin in the first film. That makes sense--her character was alive and well at the end of World War Z, so returning would bring the franchise straight back to Pete and Enos' affecting chemistry. "We all lined up to go. We had (David) Fincher, we had a beautiful script, and then it just didn't happen," she said. "It's a pity it didn't make it, the first one was so good."

World War Z 2's Story: What Could Happen?

Since "World War Z" is a zombie movie, so World War Z 2 will of course focus on zombies, and how humans deal with the aftermath of the initial outbreak. During the end of World War Zombies, humanity got a glimmer of hope. A vaccine for this virus allows survivors to evade detection by zombies and escape to a safe area. This aspect of the narrative is well summarized in World War Z, so Pete has two paths in World War Z 2.

The first option could draw real-world inspiration from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has decimated the global population through different variants, some of which have resisted the effects of vaccines. The virus behind the World War Z zombie outbreak could work like any other and mutate under duress, making Gerry Lane rejoin the fray in search of a full cure or another vaccine. The best zombie movies offer cultural commentary on the behavior and attitudes of society at large — for example, in George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, the black protagonist survives a zombie-filled shopping mall only to end up Killed by the police at the end. Movies like Dead Army 2 and World War Z 2 have great opportunities, platforms and A structure that makes for a depressing look at social tensions throughout a real-world pandemic. It can shed light on current events if the authors want to explore vaccination, mistrust of authorities, variants and subsequent waves of infection.

The second option is to read the book in depth. It's a shame that the original World War Z movie avoided the zombie-hunting wiener dogs, who slowed down the zombies by chewing on their feet. But the book goes well beyond the scope of the original film. Among them, the vaccine is a placebo that instills a false sense of security in people. Similar to the political battles that drove the plot of The Walking Dead's 11th season, the original novel is an examination of humanity at its worst. In the book, once the vaccine is revealed to be fake, the world order will collapse completely, triggering the total extermination of zombies. Since then, human life expectancy and quality of life have declined severely, the world has plunged into a nuclear winter, and running water is limited - but humans do survive in some form.

Why The Fincher World War Z Sequel Is A Lost Opportunity

Actual plot details and release date for World War Z 2 are Still up in the air, but it's clear that director David Fincher is no longer involved, which is a lost opportunity that will undoubtedly lead to an interesting sequel. A report suggests that Fincher's story vision for World War Z 2 has Gerry Lane hunting down the person behind the outbreak, but since Fincher has never confirmed this, it can only be speculated . It's worth noting that the quality of every movie Brad Pitt and Fincher have worked on together -- Se7en, Fight Club, even The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- suggests that Fincher's World War Z 2 could have been extraordinary. First, it was Brad Pitt's relationship with Fincher that fueled World War II, as Fincher signed on as director years before the film was canceled. What's more, Pete and Fincher seem to have a deeper synchronicity that honors the dark roughness of the World War Z novels.

In contrast, Pitt and World War Z director Mark Foster disagreed over the direction of the book. Foster wanted a big, brash zombie action movie, while Pitt wanted to respect the vision and nuance of the source material. Finch/Pete combo can The same goes for the extra weight needed to push the item back to the correct table top. David Fincher's World War Z 2 isn't exactly in trouble, as the sequel's lengthy time in development hell only pushes Pitt and other producers to look for possibilities way to finally start making. Since Fincher oversaw the rewrite, he could be just the guy this sequel needs to provide definition and forward momentum to the story. If David Fincher does end up directing World War Z 2, Pete and Fincher will surely delve deeper into the novel for a more faithful adaptation.

World War Z 2 Might Have Missed Its Moment

Currently popular horror genres vary widely. In the 2020s, zombie movies have reemerged as a niche interest rather than the box office powerhouses they once were. The Walking Dead ends in 2022, and while there are plenty of spinoffs on the horizon, it appears to be the only popular zombie-themed movie right now. However, that's because of the extensive character roster and lengthy 11-season story. Still, that hasn't changed audiences' desire for zombie flicks The development of the 2010s seems to have met.

World War Z 2 may have missed its chance, and it's unclear whether the film will reach the same status as its predecessor. Horror movies and vampires are now in the spotlight, thanks to the Scream movies and the new Halloween trilogy, as well as new takes on vampires like Midnight Mass. While World War Z 2 has arguably missed its sunny days in terms of cultural relevance, the streaming service could alleviate that. Audiences with more specific interests are turning to streaming for all their niche needs, and if World War Z 2's story is good enough, putting it on streaming might alleviate that problem. Either way, it's likely too late for WWII, as the zombie pop culture era that made WWII sequels viable is truly over.