David Fincher interested in directing 'World War Z' sequel; Paramount hesitant to greenlight

There are very few directors in this current cinematic environment who can sell a movie with their name alone. That shortlist is pretty much limited to filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino, who have become directorial superstars with an amazing amount of clout. If we wanted to stretch it, that list might include David Fincher, who has been on a spectacular run over the last few years. Fincher has made 10 movies since 1992's Alien 3, turning dark dramas like Se7en and The Social Network into hits and creating instant classic like Fight Club. After the smash hit success of 2014's Gone Girl, many wondered what Fincher would do next. Initially, there were rumors that he would head to television, but that appeared to fall through. After that, word on the street was that he would reteam with Gillian Flynn and Ben Affleck for a modern remake of Strangers on a Train, but as Affleck became more engulfed in the world of the DC Cinematic Universe, it seems like that one has fallen through as well. Then a couple months ago, a report broke that Brad Pitt wanted Fincher to direct his sequel to World War Z, which was originally set for a release this summer. That caused quite a few raised eyebrows from cinephiles, circling around this basic question- why the hell would David Fincher want to direct a sequel to World War Z?

Somehow, it appears that those rumors weren't too far off base. Despite the fact that Paramount officially removed the film from this year's calendar, the studio has an interest in getting the film off the ground in the coming years. According to The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel, Fincher is "very creatively interested in directing the movie," and he's hoping to deliver a film with a budget lower than the original's $190 million price tag. And yet for some reason, Paramount's Brad Grey is indecisive about greenlighting the film, which will come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Fincher's filmography. The studio is looking to prepare the World War Z sequel for a 2018/2019 release date, and the filmmaker appears ready to reunite with Pitt. While I would love to see Fincher tackle that Strangers remake (which was reported to be set during an actor's awards campaign) with Affleck and Flynn, I'm certainly interested to see his take on the zombie genre. If Paramount is serious about continuing the World War Z franchise, I don't know why they wouldn't sign Fincher as quickly as possible. It elevates a potential "who cares?" sequel to a genuine cinematic event.

Image Credits: IMDB