World War Z 2 Picking Up Pace As Steven Knight Completes First Draft Of Script

Paramount’s apocalyptic sequel World War Z 2 is beginning to pick up steam, after Locke screenwriter Steven Knight revealed in an interview with Collider that he has just completed an early draft of the zombie follow-up.

Pegged for a release in the summer of 2017, we’re still a ways away before seeing the return of the rampant flesh-munchers, though Knight is already anticipating the sequel. In an interview with the outlet, the scribe touched upon the breathless nature of the 2013 original, and how he was ostensibly presented with a blank slate – surely a screenwriter’s dream – after signing on for Paramount’s big-budget installment.

“I was approached with the idea of, ‘How do we move this along?’ so who could resist? I think the beauty of the first film was the way that it never paused for breath. It never spent a moment thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, we’d better tell the audience what this is all about.’ It stayed in the moment, it stayed with that person.”

Picking up the reins in Marc Forster’s steed is The Impossible director Juan Antonia Bayona. Having dabbled in horror with The Orphanage, the filmmaker has already proven his horror credentials, and it’ll be fascinating to see how he approaches Knight’s nascent script now that the wheels are beginning to ache into motion.

Paramount opted to keep World War Z 2 on the shelf until 2017 to accommodate Brad Pitt’s busy schedule, though it’s understood that the lead will return for what will hopefully be a much smoother production. It’s no secret that the studio battled through a fair share of troubles with the 2013 original, as it struggled to nail down a satisfactory ending. Mind you, the focused and intense finale of World War Z was arguably one of the better segments of the movie, swapping CG-laden set-pieces for a more refined, claustrophobic viewing experience. Here’s hoping Knight and Bayona can cook up something equally brilliant – if not better – with the sequel.

At the time of writing, World War Z 2 is still primed to lock horns with Fox’s Fantastic Four sequel, though given the dire box office performance of Josh Trank’s reboot and the media circus surrounding it, don’t be too surprised it it’s the latter follow-up that blinks first.