Although World War Z was beset by production problems and a late-in-the-game recut, the finished product was actually quite good.
Granted, the production budget ballooned to $190 million and a number of plot threads - one including Matthew Fox - were completely excised from the film, it all eventually worked out in the end. That said, a spiraling budget gave Paramount pause about going in for another slice of zombie action - however, a THR interview with Paramount chief Jim Gianopulous has confirmed that the sequel is now in "advanced development" and long-rumoured director David Fincher is now at the helm with Brad Pitt set to return.
Fincher previously stated that he was in talks, but going by Gianopulous has now signed him on for the role. This would be the second time that Fincher has taken on a sequel, having famously attempted to get a handle on Alien 3 back in 1992.
In that instance, Fincher was working on his first film and was subjected to some pretty intense scrutiny by the studio as well as pressures from a half-cooked screenplay and a demanding schedule to boot. This time around, Fincher's more experienced and he knows how to work a tentpole blockbuster.
It's a bit strange to see Fincher going in for something like this, it has to be said. Paramount is actively trying to set up World War Z as a franchise for them and - with the exception of Alien 3 - he's never worked in that environment. He was attached to Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea for quite some time, but that wasn't really the same thing.
World War Z 2 will likely be the biggest budget that Fincher's worked with in his career, so it's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out. No release date has been scheduled, but expect to see it crop up some time in 2019 if not sooner.
Via THR
