Marc Forster to Direct World War Z

[TheDreamMaster]

I feel like if they made a Left 4 Dead movie, this would be the template.

I see where you're coming from, but god I hope not.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

I am actually looking forward to this. The trailers don't look bad at all and the early reactions seem to be pretty good. And like someone else said, when is the last time Brad Pitt made a terrible movie? I can't think of one.

Also, the official tie in game is now in iPhone/ iPad App Store for 5 bucks. I downloaded it and its actually pretty decent and I don't regret buying it. The graphics are fantastic for a mobile game, as well as the voice acting. The controls take some getting use to but there are multiple control schemes which is a good thing. There are two modes, story and challenge mode with leader boards. Story mode has 28 levels btw. So far I would give it a 7.5 or an 8/10.

 

[E-Man]

I feel like if they made a Left 4 Dead movie, this would be the template.

They already made a Left 4 Dead movie. It's called La Horde.

 

[AnneFan]

I’m not sure if I’d be able to see this movie, because the overflow of people as seen in the trailers freaks me out.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

The fact that Brad Pitt can't remember faces is what freaks me out.

 

[Teelie]

Bringing entirely new meaning to the phrase "faceless hordes."

 

[Bruce Malone]

Someone else brought this up but it kinda sucks that they used the books titles without really being much of an adaptation at all. For the fact that we'll probably never see a more direct adaptation of the book now.

 

[matrix_ghost]

I really hope so. I'd love for that to happen. I get pretty tired of people just expecting these things to be bad movies (and maybe even want them to be bad to make themselves right) before they even see them.



I don't think it's wise to dismiss something where we have no idea about its inner workings. None of us are working on this movie. None of us have seen the numbers. We don't know how much was spent. But you'd be surprised. Given all we heard about how much money has been thrown at this thing with its issues, $400 mil may have been over the course of the entire production of this film. $200 already looks at the starting budget, or more. $100 for the marketing or maybe even more. A COMPLETE reshoot of the climax could very well bump this up to $400 million.

Apologies for the very late response Doctor Jones.
Should've commented on this earlier.
While it is true that we just don't know what exactly is happening within the studio regarding WWZ, from a pure financial point of view i can't see the budget going as high as 400 million.
I think it's safe to say that WWZ jus won't be a huge hit. No way that it'll be able to recoup it's budget back.
If you look at movies like Speed Racer ( WB, budgeted 180 million) , John Carter of Mars ( Disney, 200 plus million) , these type of flicks bombed just didn't generate enough $$$ .
Hell if it weren't for TDK ( WB) and Avengers ( Disney )the studio suffered quite big losses.

The studio would've ( and this has most likely happened) intervened when the budget would'verised considerably.

Also i seriously doubt WWZ had a starting budget of 200 million. WWZ just doesn't have the commercial appeal that something like Pacific Rim or Avatar has.

 

[Teelie]

It's a new take on zombies. Something that's been done a lot lately. It's not necessarily a bad thing but obviously not going to go over well with the shambling hordes of slow moving undead either.

28 Days Later did fast "zombies" which people hated initially but it was a good movie. This might turn out to be good too. And if Resident Evil can twist zombies up like they have and still be making money, WWZ has a shot too.

 

[Kane52630]

I still think if this wasn't called World War Z and say it's a adaptation of the book, I would be more on board with this movie. The movie could be good for all I know (and I hope it is) but it just irks me to think they could just simply take a documentary style book and turn it into a popcorn action flick and get away with it....still who knows how the movie actually plays out so we will see.

 

[redhawk23]

It's a new take on zombies. Something that's been done a lot lately. It's not necessarily a bad thing but obviously not going to go over well with the shambling hordes of slow moving undead either.

28 Days Later did fast "zombies" which people hated initially but it was a good movie. This might turn out to be good too. And if Resident Evil can twist zombies up like they have and still be making money, WWZ has a shot too.

Its not really that new, if anything, fast zombies are more common than the old type in movies and games right now.

The problem also being that the book, in conjunction with Brooks' other book, the Zombie Survival Guide, were specifically centered around thinking through the tropes and implications of the classic slow zombie. Out of that context there's no real point.

Oddly what it reminds me of is I Am Legend. The book of I am legend similarly examines a lot of classic vampire tropes in an interesting way and yet every adaptation eschews that element (and by element I mean most of the book) and also like I am Legend it seems like we are being served up a CG mess, something I couldn't find less interesting or frightening.

 

[Teelie]

I realize this is based on a book but how often is that meaningful in movies? Especially tentpole blockbuster types? There are rare exceptions where a movie is very faithful (and even then the fans will pitch a fit it wasn't faithful, see Watchmen) but to get worked up that the rights to a book were bought just to mangle the storyline beyond recognition and keep the title is nothing new.

 

[SlamAdams]

I realize this is based on a book but how often is that meaningful in movies? Especially tentpole blockbuster types? There are rare exceptions where a movie is very faithful (and even then the fans will pitch a fit it wasn't faithful, see Watchmen) but to get worked up that the rights to a book were bought just to mangle the storyline beyond recognition and keep the title is nothing new.

Of all the books I have read that have also been made into movies, I would say I have only ever seen one that has been truly mangled beyond recognition, and thats not counting Lawnmower Man (which I haven't read, but comparing the summaries are pretty damn funny)

 

[TheDreamMaster]

You know one of the problems I have been having with the trailers, besides of course the fact I've read the novel and this looks nothing like it, is you see all these "zombies" and know there is something wrong, but we never really see just one. It continuously looks like a thousand faceless CGI drones throwing themselves at walls and running across large landscapes and such.
I Am Legend may not have been the best film, but I remember its creatures being able to get the jump on me during scenes like the one in the building at the start, where there are several standing in the dark. If I can't hardly even tell what these things are in the trailer, it has no effect on me, which is why things like the Romero movies and Left 4 Dead leave a bigger impact in regards to zombies and the undead than most other attempts.

 

[Kane52630]

I'm baffled but i'll see for myself.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/world-war-z/

 

[Gianakin_]

Ah, now I see. They mixed up the RT scores for MoS and WWZ.

 

[antonydelfini]

Fun, exciting, thrilling, and surprisingly intense. I give this a very solid 8/10. Could have been higher if there was no CGIzombie

 

[MOVIELORD101]

Bought the "Art of the Film" book for this yesterday that includes the full shooting script for the film! Gotta say, I'm impressed with how well-written it is! It's VERY different from the book, sure, but the feel of just how chaotic the zombie attacks are described in the book's faux interviews are kept intact here.

Spoiler

Also, I though the end twist of how to cure the zombie plague by needing to be already infected with another disease of any sort was GENIUS! It made so much sense, given how past zombie stories depict how zombies don't attack people already infected with the zombie virus. How the hell has no one else thought of this kind of extention before, especially George A. Romero?? I'm not sure if this was Damon Lindelof or Drew Goddard's idea, but kudos to either one of them if so!

Overall, I'd give the script a solid 8 out of 10. I'm seeing the movie in 2-D tomorrow night, so expect my final thoughts Saturday morning or so!

 

[ironman_rick]

Caught the movie today...and was pleasantly surprised. This movie is pretty good.

It is more 28 days/weeks later than dawn of the dead. In fact, this movie could have easily been the sequel for 28 weeks later.

I didn't like the ending though. It was like everything fitted nicely.

7/10.

I hope this movie opens big this week (at least $60 million).

 

[Teelie]

I'm surprised the critics liked it so well. I'm probably going to see it this weekend or the next, depending on how my schedule works out.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I think critics don't have the book in their minds when watching it.

And that's probably the better way to see this for anyone.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Wait, this is....good?

 

[The Guard]

It wouldn't surprise me if this is good. Pitt doesn't usually sign onto franchise films, and they put a lot of time, effort and money into fixing the issues with the third act.

 

[terry78]

Pitt is a massive A-list blockbuster guy, but yeah I have yet to see him just do something for a paycheck. If he thinks a story will fit him and works, he'll do it.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Pitt is a massive A-list blockbuster guy

Really? The last blockbusters he were in were Benjamin Button and Inglourious Basterds. Hardly "blockbuster" blockbusters.