Overview

• Paramount’s new chairman and CEO David Ellison named the World War Z sequel as one of the studio’s top franchises at a Los Angeles press event.
• The follow-up was officially shelved in February 2019 after reported budget and creative disputes, David Fincher’s scheduling conflicts and China’s informal ban on zombie content.
• No production has been greenlit and both David Fincher’s directorial return and Brad Pitt’s involvement have yet to be confirmed.
• Executives see potential in unused material from Max Brooks’s novel that could underpin a revived script or a fresh adaptation.
• Paramount’s decision reflects a strategy to capitalize on the original film’s $540 million global haul alongside Brad Pitt’s recent box-office triumph with F1.