Those Ellisons are seriously wonderful people. David Ellison and sister Megan in the next few years are going to be seen to some extent as the saviours of modern, intelligent cinema. They’re financing two Paul Thomas Anderson movies including Inherent Vice, as well as The Wettest County in the World and Cogan’s Trade. Now their production company Skydance is looking to bring back the adaptation of Max Brooks’ novel World War Z, which is to be directed by Marc Foster and star Brad Pitt. Paramount initially balked at the project and the $125 million price tag, leaving it’s fate up in the air.
Reports are that the production company is looking for financing with at least two other companies. Despite this, production is readying to start as quickly as June. The film is about a diplomat who begins to piece together a survival guide after a zombie pandemic has destroyed the world through war. The script is written by J. Michael Straczynski, most famous for his work on Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, with re-writes by Matthew Michael Carnahan. (Deadline)