It’s almost been a decade since the action horror blockbuster film World War Z hit theaters. Soon after its release, a sequel was confirmed; however, fans of the film are still waiting for Gerry Lane (played by Brad Pitt) to return to their big screen with elevated action and thrill. They also have a constant fear of never getting to enjoy the sequel, especially after World War Z 2 was officially put on pause in 2019 due to budget issues.

World War Z 2 is currently traveling a very bumpy road, like many other movies stuck in pre-production, and fans are still hoping for it to reach its destination, Paramount studios. Unfortunately, due to multiple reasons, it looks like World War Z 2 will take a prolonged time before it gets picked up again. For now, there are multiple reasons why it is not going into production. Here’s all you need to know.
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Is Brad Pitt’s World War Z 2 Canceled?

Paramount Pictures

Yes, sadly, it is. In February 2019, per The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Studios canceled the sequel to the 2013 hit film, World War Z. The original film earned a whopping $540 million against a budget of $190 million, hence why everyone saw a sequel coming to theaters. It was shortly announced after the release, however, that World War Z 2 was ultimately canceled.

Director Marc Forster and Paramount originally wanted World War Z to be a trilogy. After the success of the film in 2013, J.A Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) was brought in to direct the sequel, while Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) was set to write the script. Later on, World War Z 2 was scheduled to be released on June 9, 2017.

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But, in 2016, Bayona left the project due to other projects he was associated with. Before the final cancelation, producer Dede Gardner confirmed that the sequel would begin filming in 2018 — but, as we all know, it didn’t happen. Another reason for Paramount studios to cancel the production was Pitt’s busy schedule. With no updates on the sequel, the highly-sought actor signed other projects, such as Ad Astra and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which further delayed World War Z 2.

Moreover, China’s ban on zombie and ghost movies was another concern for the production team. With China being a crucial market for Hollywood, there was an uncertainty for World War Z 2 to be a success commercially. Unlike the first film, the sequel would have demanded a bigger production, but this time, Paramount could not estimate any box office collection with Chinese audiences getting out of the frame.

Cast and Plot of World War Z 2

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Although World War Z 2 is not in production — and we never know when it will be again — one thing is clear: Pitt would have been on board to play the iconic Gerry Lane. Additionally, Mireille Enos previously confirmed that she would return as Gerry’s wife, Karin Lane. It has been almost four years since the sequel was canceled, and it would require another interview with the aforementioned stars to know their opinions on reprising the roles.

In terms of plot, World War Z was roughly based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks. With no idea about the production and script, it’s hard to predict the plot of World War Z 2. At the climax of the first film, Gerry claims that there is still much left to be done. Bearing his words in mind and Paramount’s original plan to create a trilogy, there’s definitely a scope for the sequel to discover a new world and storyline. Also, the novel expands into another era, politically overpowered and drastically changed due to the zombie invasion. If World War Z 2 returns to production, it would be thrilling to see how the filmmakers will craft a new adventurous world for the viewers.

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What is the Future of World War Z 2?

Paramount Pictures

As of writing this, it seems like World War Z 2 is not happening anytime soon. Marc Forster, while speaking to The Digital Fix also left the fans saddened with his update on the next installment. He said, “In regard to World War Z 2 – I don’t think that sequel is coming anytime soon.” It looks like, for now, horror movie fans are out of luck with both Paramount and Forster taking a step back from the sequel.