David Fincher Hints at Canceled World War Z 2 Film: A Nod to The Last of Us
David Fincher reveals the reasons behind the cancellation of World War Z 2 in this intriguing article Delve into the details of this abandoned sequel and uncover the secrets that led to its demise
Summary
David Fincher teases his canceled World War Z sequel, describing it as "a little like The Last of Us."
The sequel was originally scheduled following the triumph of the first installment of World War Z, with Fincher enlisted as the director. Difficulties in production and China's prohibition on movies involving zombies were cited as factors behind the cancellation of the sequel.
David Fincher recently discussed his plans for the canceled World War Z sequel in an interview with GQ. Fincher compared his vision for the film to The Last of Us, but expressed relief that it never became a reality. He also mentioned the possibility of a closer adaptation of the original book being discussed.
Why World War Z 2 Was Canceled
It bore some resemblance to The Last of Us, but I'm relieved we didn't pursue the same approach because The Last of Us has a much larger scope to delve into similar themes. For our title sequence, we had planned to incorporate the tiny parasite...similar to how they did in their own title sequence, along with the fantastic opening featuring a talk show reminiscent of Dick Cavett and David Frost.
Prior to its 2013 release, director Forster had originally envisioned World War Z as a trilogy, drawing inspiration from the Jason Bourne series and The Walking Dead. However, Paramount had to abandon these plans due to production difficulties. Despite this setback, the immense success of World War Z at the box office prompted Paramount to announce a sequel. The project then underwent changes in the director and writer positions, with J.A. Bayona and Steven Knight taking over. A release date was even set, but Bayona had to step down from the project due to his prior commitment to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Bayona's departure cleared the path for Fincher to take the helm as director, and his trusted colleague, Pitt, readily agreed to reprise his starring role as Gerry Lane. A fresh production timeline was strategized but faced setbacks when Fincher became occupied with his duties as director and executive producer on Mindhunter. Despite being in the final stages of pre-production, the sequel was unexpectedly terminated. Paramount's decision to cancel World War Z 2 was primarily attributed to China's prohibition of zombie-themed films, as it was reported at the time.
