Before World War Z became a well-reviewed summer blockbuster back in 2013, many people thought it would be a total disaster—a cautionary tale of what happens when too many cooks (with too many egos) are given too much money and not enough time or oversight. But, much like Titanic had done 15 years before it, World War Z rose above the bad press it received throughout its production and became a massive success (as well as the highest-grossing movie of Brad Pitt’s career).
Sure, it doesn’t have much in common with the novel on which its based, but World War Z (the movie) is good! The first half is almost unbearably tense, and contains some of the most spectacularly filmed and choreographed action sequences in recent memory. The final third, which takes place almost entirely in a laboratory, is...different...but surprisingly effective and satisfying given the fact that it was written long after the rest of the film had been shot. (You really should read this Vanity Fair piece for details on how messy this movie was.) It ends on a cautiously hopeful note, with Pitt’s character reuniting with his family while the battle for humanity remains far from over.
A perfect setup for a sequel, right? Paramount thinks so! The Film Stage reports Thursday that World War Z is officially getting a sequel, and that the always intriguing David Fincher (The Game, Seven, Gone Girl, etc.) will be directing. This all sounds very good to me. Fincher’s sensibilities—from his affinity for darkness and brutality to his notoriously demanding expectations from actors—seem like they’ll be a nice fit for a movie about traumatized people staving off a zombie apocalypse.
World War Z 2 is expected to hit theaters in 2019.