Brad Pitt’s big zombie movie, World War Z, sounds like it needs the kiss of life, and not just because it’s about the living dead.
Pitt has joined his fellow actors on locations in Budapest, where World War Z will go through seven weeks of additional shooting.
The picture started filming nearly a year ago and then wrapped last summer — but clearly director Marc Forster and his producers aren’t happy, because seven weeks is a long time to re-shoot a film.
Details are sketchy and it’s not certain whether or not the film’s other stars, Matthew Fox and James Badge Dale, are with Pitt for the new shooting schedule.
World War Z is based on Max Brooks’s novel World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War, told from the point of view of a UN inspector issuing a post-war report on a decades-long battle against flesh-eating zombies.
The film had originally been scheduled for release this December but has now been put back to June next year.
Movie: World War Z - In production.
The latest:
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
Production a "nightmare".
Sounds like this is going to suck.
Sounds like this is going to suck.
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
I agree, and disagree.
As just the book with no additional material, WWZ fails as a TV series. There simply wouldn't be a budget to make it faithful to the book. Look at The Walking Dead and how they have to limit the cast, sets, locations, number of dead, etc. based on a budget.
A trilogy of films is a good idea for it, but I'm not certain of the tone. Can three zombie movies hold the public's attention in this day and age? Specifically, WWZ which has no real central character, just one reporter. Where's the story line that will have folks coming back for the sequels?
I think the perfect format might be a televised miniseries. Of course, you'd have to do it on cable or pay channels so you don't have to worry about content, but then you'd have commercials and/or a budget that's too small.
If you're ignoring the stories within the book and instead just running with an endless series of stories set in the WWZ universe, then TV works. However, I'd do it on HBO or Showtime and really crank up the gore, nudity, language, etc. to set it apart from The Walking Dead.
As just the book with no additional material, WWZ fails as a TV series. There simply wouldn't be a budget to make it faithful to the book. Look at The Walking Dead and how they have to limit the cast, sets, locations, number of dead, etc. based on a budget.
A trilogy of films is a good idea for it, but I'm not certain of the tone. Can three zombie movies hold the public's attention in this day and age? Specifically, WWZ which has no real central character, just one reporter. Where's the story line that will have folks coming back for the sequels?
I think the perfect format might be a televised miniseries. Of course, you'd have to do it on cable or pay channels so you don't have to worry about content, but then you'd have commercials and/or a budget that's too small.
If you're ignoring the stories within the book and instead just running with an endless series of stories set in the WWZ universe, then TV works. However, I'd do it on HBO or Showtime and really crank up the gore, nudity, language, etc. to set it apart from The Walking Dead.
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
I was thinking something like Twilight Zone or The Storyteller, where every episode is it's own unique story. Which is sort of how the book goes, if I recall correctly. You may need to use a few double episodes for it, but I bet you could stretch the book into at least the first season. Then after that strike out into new story territory but remain faithful to the universe you are telling it in. Maybe toss in the occasional unexpected connection to a prior story for the fans.
Really focus the stories in on the interesting details of this particular version of zombie apocalypse and how those details effect survival strategies, sort of like how Burn Notice focuses in on the interesting details of spy stuff (voice-overs optional). Try not to tell a soap opera story like Walking Dead; this would be zombie TV for the survivalist nerds. It would be a niche audience, but I think if done well it would be a solidly faithful niche audience.
Edited By TPRJones on 1339768959
Really focus the stories in on the interesting details of this particular version of zombie apocalypse and how those details effect survival strategies, sort of like how Burn Notice focuses in on the interesting details of spy stuff (voice-overs optional). Try not to tell a soap opera story like Walking Dead; this would be zombie TV for the survivalist nerds. It would be a niche audience, but I think if done well it would be a solidly faithful niche audience.
Edited By TPRJones on 1339768959
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Brad Pitt ruined it. He completely missed the point. Fast zombies.
http://moelane.com/2012....ght-now
http://moelane.com/2012....ght-now
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Best comment...
EDIT: I always wondered how decaying flesh, bone, and muscle tissue provided enough stability for a walking corpse to cruise at any appreciable speed.
Edited By Malcolm on 1352233946
Another “take the title and toss out the rest” movies. Starship Troopers anyone?
EDIT: I always wondered how decaying flesh, bone, and muscle tissue provided enough stability for a walking corpse to cruise at any appreciable speed.
Edited By Malcolm on 1352233946
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I'm willing to give it a chance, but this does not look promising.
No wonder writers hate Hollywood.
No wonder writers hate Hollywood.
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
Official trailer.
Some interesting images, I liked the flotilla. But I am still angry they bought the title of the book and made a completely different movie.
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Some interesting images, I liked the flotilla. But I am still angry they bought the title of the book and made a completely different movie.
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"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
The artist at Penny Arcade was defending it saying "I read the book, but this looks like a fun zombie movie. I don't care that it isn't about the source material."
I responded, "So I can make a movie about Ctl+Alt+Del and call it Penny Arcade?"
I responded, "So I can make a movie about Ctl+Alt+Del and call it Penny Arcade?"
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
Trailer #2. Still absolutely nothing like the book.
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"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
I like Brad Pitt, and this may end up being a good movie. But why the hell do they have to call it World War Z and pretend that it has anything to do with the book when clearly there is no way it could be more unlike the book than it is? Using the name means nothing to those that haven't read the book, and it pisses off everyone that has. What do they think they gain by that sort of bullshit?
I will probably watch this movie, but I will make absolutely certain I don't pay for it. I will gleefully pirate this one, and would like to spit in their face while doing so if I could.
I'm still intensely bitter about Starship Troopers for the same reasons, and that hatred bleeds over into other similar cases.
I will probably watch this movie, but I will make absolutely certain I don't pay for it. I will gleefully pirate this one, and would like to spit in their face while doing so if I could.
I'm still intensely bitter about Starship Troopers for the same reasons, and that hatred bleeds over into other similar cases.
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Because Hollywood doesn't have the creativity come up with their own original ideas anymore. All they can do is subvert and pimp for those that come from others, until like every old and used up whore, the idea get tossed out for a newer model. The production companies care about the money, because they've forgotten how to make movies without using excessive amounts.
Assume everyone that bought World War Z prior to the flick (be it the book, audio book, whatever) goes to see the movie at a rate of $10 per head. For comparison to a "big budget zombie movie" from last year, Resident Evil: Extinction...
World War Z's budget is estimated to be anywhere from $125M to $200M. I know there are more revenue sources than ticket sales, but they're shooting for mass appeal, which means dumbing down or eliminating anything that movie-goers haven't already demonstrated an emphatic liking for. World War Z is a $200M bet on whether or not Brad Pitt + zombies can be interesting enough to turn a profit. The thing they were in negotiations to buy from the book's author were the exclusive rights to make a movie with that name and a "based on the book by..." in the credits. That a story came along with those things is just incidental, and so the story is disposable.
Now, as to why in the fuck they spent Christ knows how many millions of dollars for the concept of "Brad Pitt + zombies" and the name "World War Z" is fucking beyond me. The concept is floating around in the aether, free, waiting for anyone to slam the two notions together in their brain. The name ... you can't come up with a name for a zombie movie? Really? That's worth how many millions of dollars to you? Fuck, I'll come up with a working title for any movie for the low, low flat fee of $5K each. Operators are standing by.
In 2009, according to Publishers Weekly, World War Z has sold 600,000 copies in all formats.
Assume everyone that bought World War Z prior to the flick (be it the book, audio book, whatever) goes to see the movie at a rate of $10 per head. For comparison to a "big budget zombie movie" from last year, Resident Evil: Extinction...
Budget $65 million
Box office $236,645,531
World War Z's budget is estimated to be anywhere from $125M to $200M. I know there are more revenue sources than ticket sales, but they're shooting for mass appeal, which means dumbing down or eliminating anything that movie-goers haven't already demonstrated an emphatic liking for. World War Z is a $200M bet on whether or not Brad Pitt + zombies can be interesting enough to turn a profit. The thing they were in negotiations to buy from the book's author were the exclusive rights to make a movie with that name and a "based on the book by..." in the credits. That a story came along with those things is just incidental, and so the story is disposable.
Now, as to why in the fuck they spent Christ knows how many millions of dollars for the concept of "Brad Pitt + zombies" and the name "World War Z" is fucking beyond me. The concept is floating around in the aether, free, waiting for anyone to slam the two notions together in their brain. The name ... you can't come up with a name for a zombie movie? Really? That's worth how many millions of dollars to you? Fuck, I'll come up with a working title for any movie for the low, low flat fee of $5K each. Operators are standing by.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I am going in expecting this film to suck balls, so hopefully it'll surprise me.
No.
Yeah, and Battlefield Earth could have been good, too.
/not sarcaastic
No.
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell