Yesterday, Paramount Pictures did some house cleaning. The studio dropped two major releases from their 2017 release schedule –Friday the 13thandWorld War Z 2. The studio has since officially put the kibosh on their troubledF13reboot, but they’re reportedly aiming for a 2018 or 2019 releaseWorld War Z 2.
Today, a new report has shed some light on the status ofBrad Pitt’s zombie pandemic sequel and the only real question now is,what the hell is the hold up?THR reports thatDavid Fincherwants to directWorld War Z 2, but Paramount is dragging its heels. Yeah, you read that right. David freaking Fincher, one of the best living directors, wants to direct the freaking World War Z sequel and the studio is just like, not sure. That is straight up insane.
Per the report, a source says Fincher is “very creatively interested in directing the movie,” which would reteam him with Brad Pitt. The duo has shared a long-running collaboration, which dates back to 1995’sSe7en. Their last film together was the 2008 dramaTheCurious Case of Benjamin Button. Fincher is also reportedly “very much on board” with the new take on theWorld War Zsequel fromDennis Kelley, creator of the British seriesUtopia, which Fincher was previously set to remake at HBO.
In case you forgot, that series got tanked by the network before HBO’s recent executive shakeup, as did his other series in development there, the 1980s-set comedyVideo Synchronicity. Fincher’s HBO shows were reportedly scuttled over budget concerns, which is what makes this next part so crazy.
Paramount has no problem with the price tag Fincher is presenting. Fincher is reportedly looking to make the follow-up for less than the original’s $190 million budget, which it should be noted was an international smash success, grossing $540 million worldwide. And since Skydance is co-producing and co-financing the film, Paramount even has a financial buffer to help mitigate any perceived risk. Even so, Paramount chief Brad Grey “was not ready” to greenlight the sequel.
The whole situation is kind of baffling. Sure, the zombie craze has decidedly died down since the original film’s 2013 release date, but Fincher is exactly the kind of director that can revive a dying property, especially when he’s got a megastar like Pitt behind him. It’s also worth mentioning that Fincher’s last film was one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of his career.
“He really would like to do it,” says THR’s source. “It’s up to Paramount.” Paramount, please. Let us have a David Fincher zombie movie.
