World War Z in trouble (Redux Edition)

[AcesandEights]

Source: And the troubled production known as the World War Z film continues... After bringing in numerous writers to try and salvage its script -- among them Damon Lindelof, Drew Goddard, and most recently Christopher McQuarrie -- World War Z's star and director are apparently no longer speaking to one another during reshoots. According to Vulture, "The horde of zombies in Paramount Pictures’ World War Z aren’t the only ones ravenous for brains: So is the troubled blockbuster’s star and producer, Brad Pitt, who Vulture hears exclusively from multiple production sources has become so frustrated with the film’s director, Marc Forster, that he stopped speaking to him altogether as the production heads into at least three weeks of reshoots." "Things got so bad that when Forster had notes on a scene for Pitt, they had to be relayed through an intermediary — and vice versa. We’re told that this awkward function was and is being largely fulfilled by a rotating trio of studio production president Marc Evans, Paramount film group head Adam Goodman, and Dede Gardner, a former executive at the studio who now runs Pitt’s company. And all this as the production crests $170 million as it heads into its costly reshoots, with an ending that is still in flux. (A representative for Creative Artists Agency, which represents both Pitt and Forster, declined to comment. Calls to Paramount were not returned by deadline.)" Check out the complete story on Vulture.

[Sammich]

The idiots should have just stayed with J. Michael Straczynski's WWZ screenplay which had received glowing praise from those who read it. But no, instead of catering to the already existing fanbase of the book, the story had to be dumbed down by MBA's and other assorted morons that never even read WWZ and turned into a generic action flick. Asylum will probably come out with a better knockoff at 1/100th of the budget. I still believe that the credits are going to list Alan Smithee as director.

[Neil]

Asylum will probably come out with a better knockoff at 1/100th of the budget. Dude! Those f*ckwits couldn't come out with any thing worth watching for 100/1th of the budget! Generally an insult to anything they put their hand to (IMHO)!

[Mike70]

this movie has become like the flying dutchman of film. i'm convinced that it is more myth than reality. seems like this ridiculous saga has been going on for 10 years.

[Sammich]

Dude! Those f*ckwits couldn't come out with any thing worth watching for 100/1th of the budget! Generally an insult to anything they put their hand to (IMHO)! Lincoln vs. Zombies was a pretty good movie and probably will make more money than that vampires movie.

[rgc2005]

The idiots should have just stayed with J. Michael Straczynski's WWZ screenplay which had received glowing praise from those who read it. But no, instead of catering to the already existing fanbase of the book, the story had to be dumbed down by MBA's and other assorted morons that never even read WWZ and turned into a generic action flick. Asylum will probably come out with a better knockoff at 1/100th of the budget. I still believe that the credits are going to list Alan Smithee as director. That screen play was outstanding. The really sad part is the SyFy Saturday Night Knock-Off movie will be much better and cheaper.

[Neil]

That screen play was outstanding. You've read it have you? How true did it stay to the book? Did it use flashbacks etc during his interview scenes?

[MinionZombie]

The more I hear, the more I can envision a great big nuclear bomb obliterating this turkey at the box office. I hope this proves to be a harsh lesson to the Hollywood system - go with the script that garners praise, learn about the property you seek to adapt (and it's current audience), and ruddy well stick with it, DON'T cock it up so royally by first-of-all pissing all over the source material, and then making a total ruddy hash of it. It seems a bit childish of Forster/Pitt to be doing the "I'm not talking to you" schtick, but I can also understand it. When working on a project with people you've lost all respect for, and who only manage to raise vitriol in you, you just want to cut them out of the remainder of your experience. It's not always possible, but I'd wager Pitt has far more sway here as the big name star and the big name producer ... which makes you think the man needed a serious schooling in not only WWZ, but zombies in general, before he waded into this disaster.

[Rancid Carcass]

You've read it have you? How true did it stay to the book? Did it use flashbacks etc during his interview scenes? From Screen Rant: Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski’s original World War Z script draft is said to be pretty faithful to Max Brooks’ source material – with an approach that includes the novel’s interview-based narrative structure. Straczynski’s draft was reworked by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), who was apparently tasked with turning the WWZ movie into a PG-13 global thriller/horror flick that has franchise potential. You can clearly see where it all went wrong...

[shootemindehead]

I'm so happy that this abortion is shaping up the way it is. While I'm probably alone on this forum in think ing that 'WWZ' was just OK, it could have made a decent film if handled correctly. But, what has happened here is the bastard child of many greedy and ignorant fathers. Pitt, et al, simply saw the following equation "popular book"-"popular name"-"Should make a popular movie" and probably discarded the original source in favor of a name rape. It'll give me further pleasure to see this abomination blow up in their faces as a box office fiasco, seriously damaging their bloated careers in the process. I see Max Brooks has been very quiet on the whole thing. Probably rolling around in his money.

[AcesandEights]

I'm probably alone on this forum in think ing that 'WWZ' was just OK I thought the structuring and overall concepts were great, but the writing was only passable/decent, if that makes you feel better.

[Mike70]

You can clearly see where it all went wrong... when Straczynski was fired/quit/whatever, i knew there was trouble down the road. they fired one of the most creative sci-fi screenwriters ever - the dude responsible for Babylon 5 (which he wrote most of). it had nowhere to go but downhill...

[rgc2005]

The screenplay was amazingly close to the book. It was a personal drama centering on Pitt's character eventually uncovers the various governmental cover ups of the outbreak in China, why it spread so fast and South Africa's survival/recovery plan. His family played a big part and pays a huge price for survival. Too bad MJS was let go in favor of runners and CG. Maybe they will make this HD 4D smell-o-vision?

[LouCipherr]

I hope this proves to be a harsh lesson to the Hollywood system - go with the script that garners praise, learn about the property you seek to adapt (and it's current audience), and ruddy well stick with it, DON'T cock it up so royally by first-of-all pissing all over the source material, and then making a total ruddy hash of it. This same philosophy should be followed when doing a remake or a sequel as well. MZ.

[shootemindehead]

I thought the structuring and overall concepts were great, but the writing was only passable/decent, if that makes you feel better. Yep, it was a great concept. But I felt Brooks' writing lost me in places. Not plotwise, just interest. Perhaps I need to read it again.