Brad Pitt reunites with ‘Riders’ director for ‘World War Z’ sequel
Brad Pitt is returning to the world of ‘World War Z.’ Paramount has closed a deal with the actor to reprise his role in the long-awaited sequel, Deadline confirmed. The studio has also tapped Edward Berger to direct. Berger recently directed ‘Conclave’ and worked with Pitt on the upcoming A24 and Scott Free film ‘The Riders’. Dennis Kelly will write the screenplay. Brad Pitt will produce alongside Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner on behalf of Plan B Entertainment, while Berger will serve as an executive producer.
Paramount is keeping the story under wraps. The sequel follows the 2013 zombie thriller, which starred Pitt as former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane. The original ‘World War Z’ was a major box office success, earning more than $540 million worldwide. The movie was loosely based on Max Brooks’ 2006 novel ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,’ which tells its story through accounts from survivors of a global zombie conflict.
Pitt has been trying to get another ‘World War Z’ movie made for more than a decade. He previously wanted longtime friend and collaborator David Fincher to direct the sequel, and that version came close to production before budget issues contributed to Fincher's departure. Paramount eventually put the project on hold.
The sequel got new life last summer after Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg were tapped as co-chairs of Paramount Pictures. The two saw a ‘World War Z’ sequel as a high-priority project. Skydance founder David Ellison also shared Pitt's interest in continuing the franchise. Skydance had played a major role in getting the first movie made. The director-actor duo had worked together during production of ‘The Riders,’ and Pitt subsequently discussed the sequel with the filmmaker.
Berger brings considerable experience with large-scale, serious material to the franchise. His 2022 war drama ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ won four Oscars, while his 2024 political thriller ‘Conclave’ received several major award nominations.
Brad Pitt also has several other projects in the pipeline. His survival thriller ‘Heart of the Beast’ reunites him with ‘Fury’ director David Ayer. He will also return as Cliff Booth in Netflix's ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,’ reprising his character Cliff Booth from Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Paramount has not announced a release date for the ‘World War Z’ sequel.
