Brad Pitt Set to Star in His 'World War Z' Adaptation

Max Brooks, the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft,is a zombieficionado, having written The Zombie Survival Guide and The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks as well as the more famous World War Z. Z entered a bidding war a few years ago, with Brad Pitt's Plan B besting Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way in an effort to turn the best-selling novel into a film. Now Pitt's going to star in it, according to Fused Film, and it will arrive in two summers. I wouldn't say Pitt's on-screen presence is ultimately surprising, but it should help the film's chances, both when it gets to theaters and possibly when recruiting additional financing if that's necessary and potential co-stars. Paramount aims to make films out of Brooks' entire zombie trilogy - if that's really an applicable name for it - and if there's one thing we haven't really seen with zombies yet, it's a major, big budget, star-driven film. Lots of great ones, most made on modest budgets, but here's a synthesis of one of the biggest stars on the planet, great literature, and zombies. That's what's truly exciting about this prospect. What's concerning is how you adapt a book that is essentially a series of lengthy monologues. The blueprint is probably Citizen Kane, because it's a journalist talking to people about their recollections. You get the monologues rewritten and there you go. Just the first thing that came to mind on that. If Paramount wants this to open in two years, then we're maybe nine months out from filming. I'm hoping for a Children of Men look and feel to it, but it's way too early to know what they'll do on that front.