‘World War Z 2’ Cast, Updates: Brad Pitt Intends to Reunite with ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ Director David Fincher for Horror Sequel

‘World War Z 2’ star and producer Brad Pitt may be reuniting with director David Fincher for the fourth time. Fincher, who directed Pitt in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, is currently in talks to helm the zombie apocalypse sequel to Marc Forster’s 2013 blockbuster hit.

According to /Film, Paramount and Pitt are currently courting Fincher to helm the planned second installment in the apocalyptic-horror and science fiction series based on the novel of the same name authored by Max Brooks.

The first film, released last 2013, was directed by Marc Forster. When it was reported that Forster will not be returning for a second time, Juan Antonio Bayona was attached to take over the directorial duties at one point. Bayona is best known for his work on award-winning films ‘The Orphanage’ and ‘The Impossible’. He also worked on two episodes on Showtime’s dark fantasy and horror television series ‘Penny Dreadful’.

However, the Spanish director departed the project earlier this year. Paramount previously said, “Because of pre-existing film commitments, Bayona is not able to make ‘World War Z’ this year, and it is our ambition to do so… He is a wonderful director and we hope to work with him soon.” Bayona dropped out to focus on his other film projects including the literary adaptation ‘When A Monster Calls’ slated to premiere in theaters on October 2016.

Since then, Paramount and Pitt have been considering Fincher to step in as director. According to the Guardian, the reunion would mark the fourth time Pitt and Fincher worked together on a film. Fincher directed Pitt on films such as the psychological thriller ‘Seven’, the book adaptation ‘Fight Club’, and the romantic fantasy and drama film ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’.

It was reported that Pitt, who is also producing the sequel as well as starring in it, met with several directors but is continuing talks with Fincher despite his weariness of directing a sequel after his flop ‘Alien 3’.

The 53-year old filmmaker is also known for his work on other critically-acclaimed films such as 2007’s ‘Zodiac’, 2010’s ‘The Social Network’, 2011’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, and 2014’s ‘Gone Girl’. His latest film, which starred Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, became his most profitable film to date. According to The Numbers, ‘Gone Girl’ earned $368.57 million worldwide on a production budget of $61 million.

‘World War Z 2’ is an upcoming sequel to Forster’s 2013 film of the same name. It is scheduled to be released on June 9, 2017. It will be produced by Skydance Productions and Plan B Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Its predecessor received mixed reviews but was deemed the highest-grossing zombie film of all time after earning $540 million worldwide against a budget of $190 million.