WORLD WAR Z Sequel A “Priority” At Paramount
Back in 2013, World War Z made a big splash at the box office, taking in $540 million worldwide off a reported budget of $190 million, and piquing Paramount's interest for a sequel. While this sequel never came to fruition due to a mixture of budget concerns and directorial changes, a new update from CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation David Ellison and co-film chief Josh Greenstein suggests that the wheels could be back in motion for a new chapter in the zombie action-horror saga.
Inspired by Max Brooks' 2006 novel of the same name, the Marc Forster-directedWorld War Z stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who travels the world, from South Korea to Wales, seeking a solution for a sudden zombie apocalypse. Reviews upon release were generally favorable, and, as mentioned above, the pic was a massive success at the box office, currently standing as the highest-grossing zombie movie of all time.
While initially conceived as a trilogy, a World War Z sequel never got off the ground, despite at one point having both J. A. Bayona (The Orphanage) and David Fincher (Se7en, Zodiac) attached to direct. However, per Greenstein in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, a World War Z sequel is among the studio's priorities, as well as indicating further interest in big horror titles (THR remind that Paramount is home to both Parker Finn's Smile and A Quiet Place, which recently had a fourth film announced).
Although we at FANGORIA could tell you that horror has always been a big box office draw, this year alone has seen two big titles – Sinners and Weapons – blow expectations out of the water. While these might both be original features, the success of another long-awaited zombie sequel, Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later, will surely have producers' pockets tingling, meaning we'll probably hear more about a potential World War Z sequel sooner rather than later. Keep your eyes peeled!
