World War Z

Paramount’s Adam Goodman Says TOP GUN 2 Likely Before MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5; Reveals Saoirse Ronan and Jennifer Connelly Have Joined PG-13 NOAH

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 3:31 pm

Word of a sequel to Tony Scott’s Top Gun started bubbling up a few years ago.  At the time, most believed Tom Cruise would only be returning for a small role and that the film would center on a new young group of pilots.  Movement on the sequel began to pick up in the ensuing months, and as recently as February we learned that Peter Craig (The Town) was working on a script for the sequel that would feature Cruise in a starring role and would see Scott return as director.

Paramount President Adam Goodman recently sat down for an extended conversation with THR and he provided updates on a slew of upcoming projects including Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, World War Z, One Shot, another entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise, and the aforementioned Top Gun sequel.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman Talk THE KILLING Season 2, WORLD WAR Z, and the ROBOCOP Reboot

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 30th, 2012 at 2:38 pm

The AMC drama series The Killing, returning for its second season on April 1^st, ties together three distinct stories around a single murder – the detectives assigned to the case, the victim’s grieving family, and the suspects. While Season 1 was all about questions and red herrings, Season 2 promises to start uncovering the answers while delving into and exploring the notion that everyone has past secrets that are now coming back to haunt them. And, the resolution of who killed Rosie Larson (Katie Findlay) will be answered at the conclusion of this season.

At a press day for the show, co-stars Mireille Enos (who plays homicide detective Sarah Linden) and Joel Kinnaman (who plays Linden’s partner, Stephen Holder) talked about their surprise over the fan reaction for the Season 1 finale, how the marketing of the show mismanaged expectations for viewers, that the stakes will get more and more intense in Season 2, how neither of them knows the identity of the killer yet (they’ve shot 11 of 13 episodes so far this season), and how all of the relationship dynamics will play out. Enos also talked about how much fun she had playing Brad Pitt’s wife in World War Z and working with the incredible ensemble cast in Gangster Squad, while Kinnaman talked about what he’s looking forward to with taking on the lead role in the RoboCop reboot, which starts shooting in August. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Release Dates for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, WORLD WAR Z and ONE SHOT

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 13th, 2012 at 7:39 pm

Some big movies with some big stars have had their release dates shuffled around. Here they are at a glance:

• Tom Cruise’s One Shot has moved up from February 8th, 2013 to December 21st, 2012.
• Brad Pitt’s World War Z has been pushed back until June 21st, 2013.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will open on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2013.

Hit the jump for more on each of these movies.

James Badge Dale and Frank Grillo THE GREY Interview

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 5:36 pm

With director Joe Carnahan’s (Narc, Smokin’ Aces, and The A-Team) awesome survival-action flick The Grey opening this weekend, I recently got the chance to talk with the cast.  Starring Liam Neeson, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Nonso Anozie, and Joe Anderson, The Grey is about a group of oilmen who have crash landed in the hunting zone of a rogue pack of wolves in the Alaskan tundra.  If you’re a fan of the cast, Carnahan, or just well made movies, The Grey will not disappoint.

During my interview with Dale and Grillo we talked about how they got cast in The Grey, how much changed from when they got the script to getting on set, karaoke, and future projects like World War Z.  Hit the jump to watch.

WORLD WAR Z Has Trilogy Potential for Paramount

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 3rd, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Assuming the world is still around on December 21^st of this year, you may find me in the theater watching World War Z, the Paramount Pictures thriller starring Brad Pitt as a United Nations employee racing to stop a zombie pandemic. Loosely based on the novel by Max Brooks, World War Z was initially thought to be a one-shot adaptation, but it looks as if Paramount has other ideas. In an L.A. Times article about Pitt’s career, the actor discussed his work on the most expensive zombie movie in Hollywood. Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) and the studio both view World War Z as a potential franchise for Pitt, eyeing a trilogy that blends the realism of the Jason Bourne franchise with the undead terror of The Walking Dead. Hit the jump for more.

Paramount Will Release PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 This Year

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 2nd, 2012 at 11:09 am

Paramount sent out a press release today about their plans for 2012, and to the surprise of no one, the studio plans to release Paranormal Activity 4 this year.  No details about the sequel have been revealed nor do we know who will direct, write, star, or how many afternoons it will take to shoot.  The franchise has been ridiculously successful for the studio, and the most recent film grossed $202 million worldwide off a reported $5 million budget.  The people have spoken and the people like night vision ghosts.  Here’s the quote from the press release:

In 2012, Paramount’s release slate highlights include “World War Z,” a zombie thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster , “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” the next installment in the global franchise starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Channing Tatum , a new chapter in the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, and “The Dictator,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen and directed by Larry Charles , the team behind “Borat.”

No release date has been announced for Paranormal Activity 4, but since the last two movies were released in late October, we can safely expect to see the movie in the same time frame.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

SWAT Team Raided and Seized Weapons from WORLD WAR Z Set

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 10th, 2011 at 5:07 pm

Now here’s something that doesn’t happen every day: a SWAT team raided the Budapest set of Marc Forster’s big-budget zombie pic World War Z earlier today and seized a number of weapons that were being used in the film. Police confiscated 85 fully-functional weapons (read: not prop guns) from a warehouse that was being used by the production. Most of the weapons were of the automatic, military-style assault variety which is a very big no-no to transport internationally without authorization. Hit the jump for the full story, including star Brad Pitt’s reaction.

Casting Call: David Morse Joins WORLD WAR Z; Vinessa Shaw to Star in SIREN; ARTHUR NEWMAN, GOLF PRO Adds Kristin Lehman

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 6th, 2011 at 2:20 pm

We have a few quick casting stories to report this afternoon.  First up, Deadline reports that great character actor David Morse has joined Marc Forster’s World War Z.  Morse “will play a prisoner living in an abandoned jail.”  Question: if the jail is abandoned, and the movie takes place in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, why is he still a prisoner?  Is he taking shelter in the prison?  We already know that the movie is going to differ greatly from the book so who knows what Forster and co. are up to.  The film stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Anthony Mackie, and Bryan Cranston.  Morse co-stars on HBO’s Treme and will next be seen in the Disney family flick The Odd Life of Timothy Greene.

Hit the jump for casting news on Siren and Arthur Newman, Golf Pro.

Director Marc Forster Talks MACHINE GUN PREACHER and WORLD WAR Z

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 6:16 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to speak with director Marc Forster about Machine Gun Preacher.   The movie is based on the real-life story of Sam Childers (played by Gerard Butler), a former drug-dealer who turned his life around and now devotes his time to saving kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan.  The film also stars Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon.  It’s a hell of a story and one that I’m glad got told.  You can watch some clips here.

During the interview, Forster talked about why he decided to make Machine Gun Preacher, being the producer and director, the casting process, editing, karoke and what’s the last video game he played.  In addition, with Forster currently shooting World War Z with Brad Pitt, he talked about what drew him to that project and changing the book to make the movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

Brad Pitt Runs Away from Fire and Zombies in New WORLD WAR Z Set Photos

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: September 25th, 2011 at 11:17 am

Because of how the internet works, more people will see the images we just posted of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman on the set of The Dark Knight Rises.  I myself am partial to these photos from the London set World War Z—in part because of the better quality of the images, but also because of explosions.  Brad Pitt stars as a United Nations employee “who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.”  Here, Pitt is seen running away from zombies through the fiery streets of London—you know, Day 4 of U.N. training.

Anthony Mackie, Matthew Fox, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, and Bryan Cranston star in the adaptation of Max Brooks’ zombie novel.  Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) directed the December 21, 2012 release.  Look for the set photos after the jump.

Director Marc Forster Talks WORLD WAR Z Changes and What Drew Him to the Project

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 19th, 2011 at 12:11 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to talk with the cast and director Marc Forster about Machine Gun Preacher.  With the movie opening in limited release this weekend (it expands next week), you can expect our video interviews in the next few days.  However, with Forster currently shooting World War Z with Brad Pitt, I used some of my time to ask why he decided to change the story of the book for the movie.  He said:

“You want to capture the spirit of the book, but at the same time, you have to create your own narrative for the film.  There are a lot of things from the book that we are trying to incorporate into the film.  It’s a tricky balance.”

He also talked about what drew him to the project and goes into more detail about World War Z.  Hit the jump to watch.

Watch a Zombie Transformation Take Place in This WORLD WAR Z Set Video

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 7th, 2011 at 8:37 am

A video from the set of director Marc Forster’s (Quantum of Solace) adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z has popped up online and it gives viewers a great look at what transforming into a zombie is all about (Hint: you become very flexible). Starring Brad Pitt, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Matthew Fox, Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale, the film centers on a United Nations employee (Pitt) who trots around the globe in an attempt to stop a devastating pandemic.

Check out the set video after the jump. World War Z is set to open on December 21st, 2012.

Official WORLD WAR Z Synopsis Reveals Key Difference between the Movie and the Book

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 10th, 2011 at 12:09 pm

I accept that film adaptations of books will be different.  They have to be and they should be.  However, it’s wise to retain the core concept of the book otherwise the studio is just paying for the name and hoping they’ll sucker in soon-to-be-disappointed fans of the novel.  That appears to be the case with the adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z.  The plot of the book takes place after a zombie apocalypse and has a researcher for the UN going around the world to determine the cause.  A mock documentary style would probably work best since the novel has multiple points of view.  I can understand the need to whittle down the movie to a single POV especially when that POV is from a character played by Brad Pitt.

But the official synopsis Paramount just released for the film shows that Paramount has gone far beyond that alteration.  Hit the jump for the synopsis and my reaction.  The movie also stars Mireille Enos, Anthony Mackie, James Badge Dale, and Bryan Cranston.  World War Z is due out December 21, 2012.

Paramount Releasing WORLD WAR Z on December 21, 2012

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 3:38 pm

Paramount Pictures has set a release date for director Marc Forster’s (Quantum of Solace) upcoming zombie pic, World War Z. The adaptation of Max Brooks’ book will hit theaters on December 21, 2012. Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Anthony Mackie, James Badge Dale, and possibly Bryan Cranston, the pic documents the aftermath of the inevitable zombie apocalypse from a number of perspectives including U.S. Government officials and mercenaries. The film is currently in production and, with its December 21st release date, is slated to go head-to-head with Disney’s Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, director Phillip Noyce’s (Salt) Hunter Killer, and Ang Lee’s (Brokeback Mountain) Life of Pi starring Tobey Maguire. For more on World War Z, hit the jump to check out a synopsis of the book.

Bryan Cranston in Talks for a “Small But Flashy” Role in WORLD WAR Z

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 6:48 am

The next couple of years are going to be amazing for Cranstontage, my Youtube channel devoted to Bryan Cranston tribute videos.  Through 2012, we’ll see Cranston in Drive, Contagion, Red Tails, John Carter, Rock of Ages, Total Recall, and Argo.  That covers WWII, the 1980s, modern day, and the future.  For genres we’ve got action, political thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, and musical.  You know what’s missing, though?  Zombies.  Not for long, hopefully:  Cranston is in talks for a “small but flashy” role in the post-apocalyptic zombie thriller World War Z.  THR could not uncover more about the role; if any readers of the source novel by Max Brooks have an idea, please share in the comments.

Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Anthony Mackie, and James Badge Dale also star in World War Z, which views the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse through a number of perspectives, from mercenaries to US government officials to impoverished Palestinians.  Directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace), the adaptation is currently in production for a 2012 release.  Read the full book synopsis after the jump.

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