Gerry Lane, the UN investigator who slayed zombies, may have just disappeared. The 2013 action blockbuster World War Z, which starred Brad Pitt, has reportedly reached an indefinite pause in pre-production, according to Variety.
The long-awaited sequel was supposed to get Pitt back together with David Fincher, the director of Se7en and Fight Club, for what seemed like it would be another fight between the living and the (un)dead.
However, it seems like that won’t be happening anytime soon. Despite being Pitt’s highest-grossing picture to date, the original was heavily criticized during production due to its infamous problems, rewrites, and reshoots.
A sequel is quite unlikely, but not totally out of the question. The fate of the sequel might be determined by several things, but Paramount has not made any formal statement on the matter. Considering that, let’s take a look at a few reasons why World War Z 2 is very unlikely to ever happen.
World War Z 2 Renewal Status
No, in 2019, the plans for a World War Z sequel and a trilogy were scrapped by Paramount, the company that made the first picture. Reports surfaced in 2017 that Pitt would feature thriller master David Fincher in the picture, but production on the project came to a halt when Fincher began filming Mindhunter for Netflix.
After postponing filming until 2019, Paramount stated in February of that year that they were canceling the project altogether.
World War Z 2 Release Date
The production schedule for World War Z 2 has been scrapped; therefore, the sequel will never see the light of day. Despite claims that it is based on Brooks’ novel, World War Z diverges significantly from the book. Director Marc Forster and Paramount Pictures, who distributed the first picture, allegedly planned World War Z as a trilogy, even though the book stands alone.
At one time, the project was linked to the talents of filmmaker J. A. Bayona (The Orphanage) and writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders).
World War Z 2 Cast
Even though work on World War Z 2 has halted (and it’s anyone’s guess when it will resume), Pitt was almost certainly cast to portray the legendary Gerry Lane. Also, Gerry’s wife, Karin Lane, played by Mireille Enos, will be back for another season. It would need another interview with the aforementioned actors to find out their thoughts on returning to their roles, and it has been over four years since the sequel was scrapped.
World War Z 2 Plot
The narrative of World War Z 2 will naturally revolve around zombies and how mankind copes with the aftermath of the original outbreak, as expected from a zombie film. At the very end of World War Z, mankind gained a glimmer of optimism.
Those who manage to escape the zombie apocalypse may do so with the help of a vaccination that blocks the infection. Pitt has two options in World War Z 2 since this plot point was satisfactorily resolved in the first film.
One possible real-world example is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected people all over the world with various strains of the virus, some of which have become resistant to vaccinations. If the virus that started World War Z were to behave like any other virus and change when pressured, Gerry Lane would have to get back into the hunt for a complete vaccine or cure.
Reading more of the book is the second choice. The first World War Z film sadly did not have the wiener dogs who pursue zombies and slow them down by biting their feet. However, the book covers a lot more ground than the film did. The vaccination in this version is only a placebo that gives people false hope that they will be safe.
World War Z 2 Trailer
In case it wasn’t obvious before, production on the sequel has not yet begun, much less gotten the green light to make a trailer. If filming does begin, we will undoubtedly get video, if for no other reason than to verify its existence.