Brad Pitt Returning for World War Z 2

Paramount is making a sequel to World War Z, and Brad Pitt is coming back to star in it.

Edward Berger is directing. Dennis Kelly is writing the script. Pitt is producing through Plan B with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, and Berger is on as an executive producer. The news broke September 18.

There is no title yet, no release date, and no plot details. The film is in early development.

Pitt and Berger just worked together on The Riders for A24, which is in post-production. Berger also directed All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, plus a couple of episodes of The Terror back in 2018. Kelly created Utopia, co-created The Third Day with Jude Law, and won a Tony for the book of Matilda the Musical.

This is the second real attempt at a follow-up. David Fincher was attached to direct a sequel in 2017, with Pitt returning, and J.A. Bayona was in the mix before that. Paramount pulled the plug in February 2019 over the budget, which was reported at around $200 million. Reports at the time also pointed to China’s ban on zombie movies as a factor.

The 2013 original was directed by Marc Forster and based on Max Brooks’ 2006 novel. It made more than $540 million worldwide on a $190 million budget and is still the highest-grossing zombie movie ever made.