10 Movie Sequels Stuck In Production Hell
3. World War Z 2
On paper, a sequel to 2013's zombie actioner World War Z should've been an absolute slam dunk. Despite its extensive production issues, the film was well-received by critics and grossed $540.5 million worldwide.
Paramount was reportedly planning a trilogy of films, with J. A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) hired to direct World War Z 2 by December 2013, for a planned June 9, 2017 release.
Bayona left the project by 2016, though, after which it was unexpectedly reported that David Fincher would direct, with filming set to start in late 2018.
Fincher's work on the Netflix's series Mindhunter pushed production back, however, and after several months of prep for the shoot, Paramount pulled the plug in February 2019.
Reports indicate that Paramount grew wary of financing such an expensive shoot given China's ban on films featuring zombies, and in a recent interview with The Digital Fix, original director Marc Forster expressed doubt that the sequel would materialise any time soon.
Though star Brad Pitt is apparently still keen to get a sequel into production, if Paramount is unwilling to produce it and won't release the rights to another studio, it's probably going to linger in the developmental abyss forever more.