Director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) has left the sequel to World War Z according to Deadline. The film stars Brad Pitt (The Big Short) reprising the role of Gerry Lane who fought the zombie apocalypse in order to save his family in the first film.
Bayona reportedly left the project due to timing. Paramount and Pitt’s Plan B were hoping to start production this summer with script by Steven Knight (Pawn Sacrifice) that was rewritten by Max Brooks (World War Z).
It’s unclear what this will mean for Bayona in terms of his next project. Many believe he will now be one of the directors up for the Jurassic World sequel. He has a wide-range of experience including The Orphanage which introduced him to American audiences. He also directed the family disaster drama The Impossible.
It’s unclear how this will affect the film as the first was known for having production problems that included a rewritten ending that left room for a sequel. Despite these problems, the film ended up being a box office hit worldwide and earned generally favorable reviews from critics.
We’ll have more on World War Z 2 as it develops.
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