Brad Pitt is officially returning to the zombie franchise that helped establish him as one of the genre’s biggest stars, with Paramount moving ahead with a long-awaited sequel to World War Z.
Pitt will reprise his role as Gerry Lane in the upcoming film, while German filmmaker Edward Berger has been tapped to direct. Berger is best known for his work on All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave.
British playwright Dennis Kelly, who co-wrote the book for Matilda: The Musical, has written the screenplay. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
Brad Pitt returns as Gerry Lane
The original World War Z, released in 2013, was based on Max Brooks’ bestselling 2006 novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
Pitt starred as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who races against time to contain a rapidly spreading zombie pandemic. The film became a major commercial success, earning more than $540 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing zombie movie of all time.
The sequel has been in development for more than a decade, with several attempts made to bring the project to the screen.
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Edward Berger takes over directing duties
Filmmaker David Fincher, a longtime collaborator of Pitt, was previously attached to direct the sequel. However, that version of the project was ultimately derailed in 2019, with budget concerns contributing to its collapse.
A source previously told The Hollywood Reporter that China’s ban on zombie films was also a factor in the earlier attempt falling apart.
The new project marks a fresh start for the franchise, with Berger now taking charge of the sequel and Pitt returning to the role that anchored the original film.
Paramount has yet to reveal the sequel’s release date or further details about its story
