'World War Z 2' Production Reportedly Pushed Back

Much like the original World War Z had countless production woes and delays, the sequel looks to be suffering the same fate, as the zombie epic has been delayed until later this year so Brad Pitt can star in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The sequel was originally supposed to begin shooting earlier this year, with production now reportedly delayed until the fall.

One of the last official updates on the project came from David Fincher last November, hinting that progress was being made on a follow-up to the 2013 film.

"World War Z? We're trying. A lot of stones have been laid," Fincher shared with Little White Lies of the film's status. "We're just deconstructing it right now against the mythology that exists to see where we can go."

Given the popularity of zombies in pop culture, one would think bringing such a film to life would be a simple task, yet the initial film ran into countless setbacks, with many thinking the film would never come to fruition.

Based on the Max Brooks novel of the same name, production on the adaptation began in 2011 with a budget of $125 million. The film's planned finale required a large array of firearms, which were confiscated by authorities in Budapest after the production failed to properly declare the props with the local government, which resulted in the film being delayed into the following year.

Damon Lindelof was tapped to re-write the film's third act in 2012, only to have to depart the project before writing an ending, with Drew Goddard then stepping in. This new ending required an additional 40 minutes of new footage for a more cohesive narrative.

Political relationships also had an impact on the film, with a climax set to take place in Russia and the presumed zombie outbreak originating in China, with Paramount Pictures scrapping both of those ideas as to maintain relationships with those regions.

After all the re-shoots, the production budget ended up totaling closer to $200 million. The film had intended to hit theaters in December of 2012 and was eventually released in the summer of 2013. Despite all these starts, stops, and alterations, the film went on to earn $540 million worldwide, making it a success.

With their history of working together on films like Seven, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, star Brad Pitt had talked with Fincher about the possibility of helming the sequel, despite Fincher often avoiding massive studio productions.

"We're hoping to get a piece of material that's a reason to make a movie not an excuse to make a movie," Fincher told Collider last year.

Stay tuned for details on the development of the untitled World War Z sequel.

Do you think these delays spell trouble for the World War Z sequel? Let us know in the comments!

[H/T Bloody Disgusting]