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World War Z 2 producer still hopeful David Fincher will direct the zombie mayhem

Brad Pitt on a poster for 'World War Z'. (Credit: Skydance)
Brad Pitt on a poster for ‘World War Z’. (Credit: Skydance)

‘World War Z 2′ is the sequel that just can’t seem to get made, but one of those trusted with making it a reality is hopeful a director will be signed soon.

Following the famously chaotic shoot for the 2013 original, which included substantial reshoots, the adaptation of Max Brooks’ beloved novel eventually become a hit. It made $540 million worldwide, so a sequel seemed certain.

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Star Brad Pitt was back on board and hopeful that he’d be able to convince ‘Gone Girl’s David Fincher, who he famously worked with on ‘Seven’ and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, to direct.

If there have been talks between Fincher and production company Skydance Media, they haven’t been smooth as, four years later, there’s still clearly no sequel.

However, Skydance CEO and ‘World War Z 2’ producer David Ellison is confident they’ll be able to get their man.

Speaking at the SXSW Festival premiere of sci-fi horror ‘Life’, he said of the film (via Collider): “There’s a script that we’re incredibly happy with, and it’s just getting a couple of key deals closed… We hope [Fincher] makes the movie.”

If Fincher still wasn’t a distinct possibility, it’s safe to say Ellison wouldn’t have revealed his hopes.

Given his enormous talent, proven in ‘Seven’, ‘The Social Network’ and ‘Zodiac’, Fincher would be a major get for any blockbuster film. It’d certainly be interesting to see what he could do with a zombie movie.

Released in 2006, Max Brooks’ novel is an fictionalised account of humanity’s fight for survival against a worldwide pandemic of zombies. The book presents serialised from around the globe, but the film focuses on just one family – that of Pitt’s Gerry Lane – as the war first starts.

At the end of the original film, having reached a safe zone, the real fightback begins. “This isn’t the end,” Gerry says, “Not even close. Our war has just begun.”

Given the struggles with its production, ‘World War Z 2’ does not yet have a release date.