‘World War Z’ Franchise to be Discontinued Permanently?

Although the zombie thriller, World War Z, starring Brad Pitt, was long overdue for a sequel, with the first film being released in 2013, Paramount Pictures suspended summer pre-production for the film in Atlanta, according to The Playlist. The budget played some role in the abrupt change in plans but the film had encountered many obstacles from the beginning.

The project for the sequel began with J.A. Bayona as the director after the first movie’s debut. In 2016, however, Bayona left the film. The film was also not able to meet its proposed release date on June 9, 2017. Tedious efforts were made to secure David Fincher as the new director, adding to the instability of the endeavor. Fincher had worked with Pitt previously on the 2008 drama, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.   

The first movie had similar budget issues but was still able to make $540 million globally. After seeing layoffs and undergoing restructuring, Paramount is most likely looking for more solidified franchises, which can be hoped for with the Mission: Impossible or the Transformers series. It is uncertain whether the sequel will continue after all matters are resolved or if Paramount will decidedly terminate the project.