Brad Pitt to return for 'World War Z' sequel
What's the story
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt will return for the sequel to Paramount's hit film World War Z, reported Deadline. The original movie, which was released in 2013 and grossed over $540 million worldwide, starred Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations employee racing against time to stop a zombie pandemic. The sequel has been in development for several years now, with David Fincher's version scrapped in 2019.
New team
Edward Berger to helm the film
Edward Berger, who directed Pitt in The Riders for A24, will helm the sequel.
The script is being penned by Dennis Kelly. However, plot details for the upcoming film are still under wraps.
Pitt will also produce the sequel with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through Plan B.
Sequel saga
'World War Z' sequel was in development hell
Paramount announced during CinemaCon in April that a sequel to World War Z was finally in active development after several failed attempts.
Earlier, a version of the sequel was being developed by Pitt's frequent collaborator Fincher, but it was ultimately scrapped in 2019.
The original film, based on Max Brooks's bestselling 2006 novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, also starred Ruth Negga and Mireille Enos.
Career updates
What's next for Pitt?
Pitt is currently promoting his new survival adventure movie Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer.
The film, which hits US theaters next Friday, follows a Special Forces officer and his combat dog who survive a plane crash in Alaska.
After that, he will reprise his Oscar-winning role in Netflix's The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, directed by Fincher from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.