The film received positive reviews for Brad Pitt's performance and as a realistic revival of the zombie genre, but received certain criticism for the anti-climax and outdated CGI. The film premiered in New York, and Los Angeles on June 14, 2013, and released everywhere on June 21, 2013, in the United States, in 2D and RealD 3D. World War Z premiered in London on June 3, 2013, and was chosen to open the 35th Moscow International Film Festival. The reshoots took place between September and October 2012. Damon Lindelof was hired to rewrite the third act, but did not have time to finish the script, and Drew Goddard was hired to rewrite it.
In June 2012, the film's release date was pushed back, and the crew returned to Budapest for seven weeks of additional shooting. Originally set for a December 2012 release, the production suffered some setbacks. Filming began in July 2011 in Malta, on an estimated $125 million budget, before moving to Glasgow in August 2011 and Budapest in October 2011. In 2009, Carnahan was hired to rewrite the script. The duo nearly collaborated on a reboot of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” for Disney a few years ago, but that project never move forward.Ī Fincher-Pitt reunion on “World War Z” would mark their fourth film together, having previously worked on “Se7en,” “Fight Club,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Pitt's Plan B Entertainment secured the film rights in 2007, and Forster was approached to direct. Sources say that Fincher, who is weary of sequels, having aired his displeasure during his time on “Alien 3,” has always been open to listening to Pitt when the actor reaches out. He recently shot the Netflix pilot “Mind Hunters.” Fincher and Pitt made their 1999 feature “Fight Club” at Fox.įincher hasn’t directed a film since “Gone Girl.” The filmmaker has been turning his attention to television as of late. Gianopulos has a long standing relationship with the director, going back to Fincher’s most recent film, 2014’s “Gone Girl,” which Gianopolus gave the go-ahead to when he was chairman at 20th Century Fox. Pitt met with a handful of directors but nothing materialized until he decided to reach out to Fincher to try and woo him for another collaboration. If the deal is finalized as expected, it would mark a big milestone in the long development process that started last summer. Gianopulos has since taken over the studio reins and over the past month, has been weighing which projects to pursue and let go from the previous regime’s slate. The plans had to be put on hold while Pitt dealt with his divorce from Angelina Jolie, and were put into question once the studio, then headed by Brad Grey, took the film off the calendar to consider whether or not to move forward with the tentpole. Variety first reported last summer that Pitt had been courting Fincher to direct the pic and that the director was intrigued by the idea. Sources say that production would probably begin in the first quarter of 2018.Ī spokesperson for the studio has not yet responded to a request for comment. This will likely be among the studio chief’s first greenlit movies. While Gianopulos has not officially official greenlit the movie yet, he is expected to do so in coming weeks. After previously taking the film off its calendar, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions look to be moving forward with a “World War Z” sequel, with David Fincher directing and Brad Pitt back to star, thanks to the studio’s new chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, according to knowledgeable sources.