'Orphanage' Director Hired To Helm 'WWZ' Sequel
With World War Z being the surprise mega-hit that it was, a sequel was in the works almost immediately. However, the question of who would direct the project was at the forefront of everyone's mind. Finally Paramount has hired director Juan Antonia Bayona to helm the action-horror follow-up, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
World War Z, based on the novel of the same name by horror author Max Brooks, grossed over 540 million worldwide and met with much critical acclaim. This came as a surprise to many, as the production of the film was plagued with script problems and on-set conflicts.
The film followed Brad Pitt as a UN investigator who is forced to travel the world trying to look for a cure to a global zombie pandemic. Along with starring in the film, Pitt also served as a producer on the project. While Marc Foster directed the film, it was clear that he would not return to direct the potential sequel.
Bayona has worked with in both the horror genre and the epic-scale destruction genre before, directing both the chillingly creepy The Orphanage and the intense drama about the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami The Impossible.
No writer has been hired yet, but Paramount says Bayona will oversee the script process.