In some not so surprising news, Paramount recently moved World War Z 2 off their 2017 release schedule. We say it isn’t surprising because the sequel still doesn’t even have a director at the helm. Last we heard, David Fincher was in the mix to step in and replace J.A. Bayona behind the camera, which would signal a reunion with lead star Brad Pitt, but as of yet, there’s still been no concrete development on that front.
A new report from THR tonight continues to shed some light on the situation though, which seems to be a bit of a mess. According to them, the studio is “dragging its heels” when it comes to World War Z 2 even though Fincher is apparently “very creatively interested in directing the movie.” He’s also totally on board with Dennis Kelly’s script and is all ready to go. It’s Paramount that’s causing the hold up at this stage, and quite frankly, that’s pretty crazy. They’ve got Fincher, one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, on board and they’re still not giving the project the greenlight.
“[David] really would like to do it,” says a source. “It’s up to Paramount [now].”
From what we understand, it’s not a financial concern, as the director thinks he can put the sequel together for less than the original’s $190 million budget. Still, Paramount won’t sign off just yet and it’s starting to get concerning as who knows how long Fincher will stick around for. He may walk pretty soon if the studio doesn’t get moving and to lose him would be a huge shame.
Most likely, the hesitation is stemming from the trouble that they faced on World War Z. As you probably know, that film went through some very expensive reshoots and had an extremely difficult production. Things turned out alright in the end, for the most part, but it was a pretty big headache for everyone involved and with demand for a sequel not exactly high, it makes a bit of sense as to why Paramount isn’t charging ahead with one. Then again, having David Fincher reunite with Brad Pitt would surely result in something quite special and it would be foolish for the studio to pass up an opportunity such as this.
Time will ultimately tell what becomes of World War Z 2, but while we wait to hear more, tell us, do you think Paramount should go ahead and push this one into production? Sound off in the usual place with your thoughts!