Zombies have been a ubiquitous part of the pop culture zeitgeist for decades, terrifying horror fans in a variety of movies. One would think that after all this time, filmmakers would have either run out of ideas or zombies wouldn’t still be so popular, but the inverse is true. In the modern age, there continues to be great zombie movies that look to put their own innovative twists on the genre, some of which have gone on to become major box office hits. World War Z aimed to tell a large-scale action/horror story about the world succumbing to a zombie apocalypse. Despite production woes, the film was a major commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing zombie film of all time. As fans wait the sequel, it’s now become a big streaming hit.
According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, World War Z is the No. 1 movie on Paramount+ in the world. It’s actually held that position for an extended period of time even though it isn’t available to stream on Paramount+ in the United States. Based on FlixPatrol’s metrics, World War Z has a solid lead over second-place Take Cover with a score of 177 to 153.
After World War Z proved to be a commercial success, Paramount wasted no time putting a sequel in motion, but that follow-up has yet to come to fruition. The project has cycled through multiple filmmakers, with J.A. Bayona and David Fincher attached to direct at various points. Despite the struggles to get World War Z 2 off the ground, Paramount hasn’t given up hope. At CinemaCon this spring, the studio announced that a new World War Z movie was in development. However, details beyond that are slim. It’s unknown if anyone involved with the original film, including star Brad Pitt, will return.
It’s reasonable to assume that Paramount would prefer Pitt to come back. The actor can still be a box office draw, having headlined blockbuster hit F1 last summer. Pitt is a highly recognizable face to build the marketing campaign around. The zombies themselves are the primary selling point of a World War Z movie, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to have someone famous like Pitt doing the rounds to promote the release. It might be more interesting to see who signs on to direct. Pitt has a strong working relationship with Fincher, reuniting with the director for this year’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth. Perhaps he could talk Fincher into helming this next World War Z movie.
All that said, it’s probably best for zombie fans to not get their hopes up just yet. The announcement of a project is not always a guarantee that it’s going to happen. Based on what was shared at the CinemaCon panel in April, the new World War Z film is in the earliest stages of development. Under its new leadership, Paramount is looking to use lucrative brands like Star Trek and Top Gun to support its film slate, so odds are World War Z is a priority for the studio. However, there’s still a long way to go, and depending on how things unfold from here, the movie could fall apart. Thirteen years have passed since World War Z debuted, so this has proven to be a difficult nut to crack.
One can’t fault Paramount for continuing to try, however. Not only was World War Z a hit in its time, it continues to be a sizable draw. The fact that it can top the Paramount+ charts without the benefit of domestic views (by one metric, it should be noted) speaks to the film’s staying power on a global scale. The theatrical landscape has changed quite a bit since the early 2010s, but international box office is still an important resource for Hollywood studios. Paramount is trying to capitalize on World War Z‘s enduring popularity.
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