World War Z 2 is still moving forward, but director Edward Berger wants to make sure the long-awaited sequel is worth the wait. The filmmaker recently offered an update on the project, confirming that work is continuing on the screenplay and emphasizing that he doesn’t want to disappoint fans of the zombie franchise.
As reported by our friends at Bloody Disgusting, Berger discussed the sequel during an interview with Screen Off Script. When asked whether World War Z 2 is his opportunity to break into big-budget filmmaking, Berger acknowledged that possibility but made it clear that getting the script right is the priority. He said,
“It could be. It could be. If we get the script right. We’re working on it, we’re working hard on it. We don’t want to disappoint the fans. We only want to bring something to the fans and to this idea that really furthers the story and the movie and really creates something new and can say something about our time. That’s definitely a commercial big film, you know, and we’d love to bring it to the screen.”
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Brad Pitt is returning for World War Z 2
As previously reported, Brad Pitt is set to return as Gerry Lane, the former United Nations investigator he played in the 2013 film. Edward Berger has signed on to direct, with Dennis Kelly writing the screenplay.
The original World War Z, directed by Marc Forster and loosely based on Max Brooks’ novel, earned more than $540 million worldwide. Despite that success, a sequel has proved remarkably difficult to bring together. J.A. Bayona was attached to direct before departing, and David Fincher later came aboard for a version that ultimately fell apart over budget concerns.
Now, with Pitt and Berger on board, the project has another opportunity to become a reality. But Berger’s comments make it clear that the filmmakers aren’t going to rush ahead simply because the sequel has finally found its director.
The original film ended with Gerry discovering that people who receive a particular vaccination can go unnoticed by the zombies, potentially giving humanity a way to survive the outbreak. Whether the sequel will pick up directly from that development remains to be seen.
Berger has established himself as a filmmaker capable of working across several different genres and scales. He directed the German drama Jack (2014) and the family drama All My Loving (2019), as well as episodes of television series including Deutschland 83, The Terror, Patrick Melrose, and Your Honor. His international breakthrough came with All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), his adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war novel, which won four Academy Awards, including Best International Feature Film. Berger followed that success with the political thriller Conclave (2024), starring Ralph Fiennes, and The Ballad of a Small Player (2025), starring Colin Farrell. He’s also attached to direct the next installment in the Bourne franchise.
Are you looking forward to World War Z 2, and do you think Edward Berger is the right filmmaker to take the franchise forward? Let us know in the comments.
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