A World War Z sequel ? Brad Pitt says "oh yeah !"

Matt Boiselle


                                             


       Following the surprisingly monstrous box-office numbers for World War Z, the Brad Pitt vehicle which critics were SURE would bomb, the star himself has offered this statement regarding a sequel (or sequels): "We're certainly talking about it, yeah. We have so many ideas on the table from just the time we spent developing this thing and figuring out how zombie worlds work."

    Now this can be looked at two different ways, if you were a big fan of the movie adaptation of Author Max Brooks's work, then you can only get MORE psyched up about the possibility of a franchise. However, detractors will only salivate at the opportunity to skewer this movie and any future Pitt offerings. It still is a mystery as to how this movie itself even saw the light of day, considering the multiple hold-ups in production due to re-shoots and creative differences. At the end of it all, the film racked up a princely sum of around $536 million (between foreign & domestic pulls) - and seemed to rake back in some dough to cover it's gigantic $190 million production cost.

   Only time will tell if we could be looking at World War Z: Part II - and if it does happen, keep your faces pressed to your screens here at Zombies & Toys for the latest info !

Max Brooks: "World War Z - movie only in title and that's it"

Matt Boiselle
 

    With the impending release of the much-hyped Brad Pitt zombie film, World War Z, many moviegoers have pondered whether the movie will be just like the book or not. According to the man responsible for the multi-million copy selling author Max Brooks "only in title, and that's it" - sharp and decisive words for the man who put the idea in motion, many believe.

    Brooks was recently interviewed at Mansfield University about the upcoming movie, and while he knew they were going to rewrite it, he understood that there would also be a million changes made from book to celluloid. All one would have to do is check out any news items on this film and read multiple reports of script changes and re-shot scenes, but if the truth is entirely infallible, will it all be worth it when all's said and done ?

  Brooks had been invited to read the script after it's initial shooting, but he refused
"I said: Why would I read this? This is not the movie you're going to make," Brooks said. "You're going to do rewrites and re shoots. That's what happens when you make a giant movie.
"My attitude is if you haven't invited me in to contribute, then fine. Go make the movie you want to make and I'll see it when it comes out." - at least he is taking a hard-line stance on his decision, and I honestly cannot blame him for that in any instance.

   Brooks main concern is that fans of the book could potentially see some of their favorite moments changed drastically or removed completely once they check it out in theaters. He simply offers fans to " treat both the book and the movie as two separate things." - So the question here is, are you going into this with a wide open mind, willing to accept change....or will you beat this movie down for its potentially radical swerving of the storyline ?

Should we start calling him "General" Brooks ?

Matt Boiselle

    We all here in the good old USA can rest assured that we have the strongest military forces in the world, and when certain trouble arises we know that our branches of defense will rise to the occasion and protect the country that they love so dear....but when circumstances occur that may not be of the normal...well, that's when the BIG GUNS need to be called upon to step forward and issue their guidance.

   The U.S. Army recently had a hurricane response rehearsal this last week at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, and recruited the services of Max Brooks, author of the wildly popular World War Z & The Zombie Survival Guide, to come in and speak to the leaders about preparation for varying disasters. Brooks, who has a massive following in the military, spoke at length about proper preparation techniques in advance of differing catastrophes, including a zombie apocalypse. He isn't a stranger to addressing the armed forces, as he has already headlined two different speaking engagements with the Naval War College regarding similar issues. " you have young people being interested in being prepared, being 'tricked into' taking care of themselves, really, because even if the zombie apocalypse does not happen, they will be ready for the next hurricane or next disaster," Brooks said - and who better to lead us in to World War Z, than the man who penned the book on it !

World War Z: new ending rewrite in the works ?

Matt Boiselle

 As if this film couldn't face any more disorganization, controversy, or all out general confusion as to what the heck is going on, we as fans of Max Brooks' World War Z may finally have a nugget of hope that we can cling to. Drew Goddard, the mastermind behind the new horror sensation The Cabin in the Woods, has been given the seemingly unwanted task of writing the ending to the big-screen adaptation of the hugely popular novel.

   Previously, Marc Forster (Quantum Of Solace) was the man in charge of the job at hand, and according to industry insiders, he was running the entire production into a massive hole. Now take a great book that has provided plenty of buzz, and mix in a massive budget, copious amounts of productive infighting, and a script that is a shaky as Nick Nolte's footing on solid ground......and well...we've got quite the mess don't we ?

    Added to all of this utter perplexity, insiders claim that there is a limited amount of time for Goddard to get cracking on this project, and Christopher McQuarrie ( Tom Cruise's screenwriter) could be the NEXT man in line to take over the workload in a top-to-bottom format. So what is the ending result in all of this mess ?? No one really seems to know - the only thing that manages to remain a constant is that the movies that fans are truly clamoring to see are the ones with the most strife.....but we manage to get a new "Twilight" every year (shudders). As usual, stick with us here at Zombies & Toys and we will try to see if over time any more news will make sense of this never ending debacle of a project.

Watch a World War Z Zombie Attack

David Brown

Lately, the internet has been buzzing with all of the news concerning the filming of World War Z. Well to add to that we are glad to report that a bit of leaked footage has hit the internet.  The footage shows a zombie attack from the film.  Click below to watch it, but do so quickly before the zombies over at YouTube devour this clip with rapid ferocity.

WWZ Production Photos

Todd Jepperson


These have been buzzing around the WWW this week, so we thought we'd give you a sneek peek. Here are the set photos from the Hollywood adaptation of Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.

National Geographic – The Truth Behind Zombies

Todd Jepperson

If you’ve still got a T.V. and electricity, you’ll want to tune it to National Geographic Channel Saturday night. Pull up a chair and listen as Max Brooks (author of the best-selling Zombie Survival Guide) and his team explore the Haitian Voodoo roots of Zombies, as they try to explain how they came to be and if they’re more Hollywood myth or reality. Also, meet some people who are apparently more prepared than the rest of us for when the restless dead take over. Grab a pen and paper, take notes, and be ready!

World War Z To Star Brad Pitt

The rumours have been abound for several months speculating that Brad Pitt would be involved with the World War Z movie. They started when Pitt's production company grabbed the rights for the movie back in 2007. Now, Paramount has optioned those rights and are aiming for a summer 2012 release! Let's hope the San Diego Comic Con slips loose more info over the coming days.

"The Walking Dead" Television Series Moving Ahead

If I had to force someone to read one piece of zombie literature, I would tell them to read Robert Kirkman's zombie epic, The Walking Dead. Don't get me wrong, Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide is the gospel. But The Walking Dead, to me, is everything a great zombie story needs.

The news about AMC picking up this comic series and turning it into a television series is old news. The fact that AMC oficially gave it the greenlight recently is still exciting. All we need to do now is hope that it moves beyond the pilot episode. ...and that it's good!

From Variety:

Frank Darabont penned the adaptation and is on board to direct. Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Motion Pictures and David Alpert of Circle of Confusion will exec produce with Darabont and Kirkman.

"Working with people like Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd is the right way in for us to deliver a project of distinction in this genre," AMC prexy Charlie Collier said.

Zombie Gift Guide - part 2

With Black Friday looming around the corner, I am sure many of you have began to think a little more seriously about the stresses of gift buying. Well, you're in luck. Welcome to part two of Zombies & Toys' Holiday Gift Guide for Zombie Fans. In part one, we took a look at how you can wear your zombies by telling you about Sourpuss Clothing, Zombie Liquorice, Zombie Head, and Kiddo47. Don't forget that Sourpuss is offering ZT readers 15% off and Zombie Liquorice is offering ZT readers 10% off! For details, click here. This week I would like to take a look at zombie media.

Let's get the obvious out of the way... Left 4 Dead 2 was just released this past week. Having played it, let's end the controversy now by my saying that it would have been impossible to make the updates downloadable content for the first one. At $59.99, L4D2 brings fans more of what made its predecessor so addicting and kicks it up a few notches. New characters, levels, and weapons are just the beginning. Flesh and limbs can now be blown off of the zombies. There are several new modes of gameplay. Oh, yeah... it's chock full-o-zombies!

If the price is a little too steep for you or if, like me, your significant other could not wait to buy it there are always XBox Live cards. It's inevitable that the gamer in your life will need to re-up their Live subscription. Help them to stay in the game by giving them a 1, 3, or 12 month card. This can also be backed-up by Live Points cards. There will be downloadable content for L4D2 and even L4D so make sure your gamer is ready by having some points ready to spend.

While we're on the subject of games, I was recently introduced to an amazing zombie board game. "Zombies!!!" from Twilight Creations is to a zombie fan what Monopoly is to a slum lord. The first edition is long sold out but the second edition is ready for you to grab for $27.99. With numerous expansions and accessories, you will not grow out of this game. Beverages, snacks, and friends are not provided, but have your friends play it once and they'll be beating down your door to play again. Oh, and make them bring the snacks and beverages!

Zombies!!! is never the same game twice as the "board" consists of tiles that are shuffled before each game begins and a new tile is placed before each turn. You play as one of the survivors and the game comes with 100 zombie miniatures. Additional bags of zombies are available including female zombies and even zombie dogs. A great gift idea if the person on your list has several friends who are also into zombies or games. And if you're into playing board games and slaying zombies, this is a prime opportunity to benefit from a gift you are giving.

Movies are another gift that the giver can benefit from. Is there a new movie you've been wanting to see? Give it as a gift! The only bad news? Zombieland won't be released before Christmas. But this could be the perfect opportunity to help that lucky person on your list replace their zombie movie catalogue with the new and improved Blu Ray version. We have the Romero classics Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead as well as Diary of the Dead and Land of the Dead. The Dawn of the Dead remake by Zach Snyder is a personal favorite and so are 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later. Evil Dead II, I Am Legend, and Resident Evil while not typical zombie films have also been given the high-def treatment. What? No Blu Ray player? Make your gift really special and buy a new player to go along with the stack of zombie blu rays.

If you want to stick to standard definition and fill in some missing gaps in a collection, your choices are virtually limitless. But think about some of the less obvious films unless you know that the person on your list would like a particular title. Savini's Night of the Living Dead remake, Fulci's Zombie, Dead Alive, Dead Girl, [REC] and Re-Animator are all great examples. Another option could be a DVD that isn't necessarily a zombie film but strikes those same chords. A few personal suggestions would be Right At Your Door, The Signal, and The Descent.

Finally, let's talk about books. If it has Max Brooks' name on the cover it needs read. The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z, and the recently released Recorded Attacks. Any zombie fan needs to read those books. Some other personal favorites are: Day By Day Armageddon (JL Bourne), Dying to Live (Kim Paffenroth), Twilight of the Dead (Travis Adkins), and Breathers (SG Browne). The comic book series, The Walking Dead, is also available in trade book form and required reading for zombie fans.

A Max Brooks Lecture

Do you have 60 seconds to spare? I thought so. Head over to The Record to watch a short clip of Max Brooks giving a lecture at Sage College. Stick around for another minute to read some of Brooks' amusing anecdotes.

Max Brooks Lists His Favorite Zombie Films

MTV.com had the opportunity to speak with Max Brooks and asked him a superb question. They requested that Brooks provide a list of great zombie films to watch. I won't list them here as that would be in poor taste. I will, however, show a clip from one of the films and provide you the link to go read what movies he suggests. Oh, yeah... click here.

Here's some words from Brooks to lead into the clip from Zombie 2, "A zombie fights a shark. And that's a real shark by the way. You're gonna watch this and you're gonna be like 'holy crap, that's a real shark and some poor Italian stuntman wrestling it.'"

Interview With Max Brooks

No, not with me. I know, bummer. However, TimesUnion.com has posted an interview with zombie guru, Max Brooks. Head over and check it out. He talks about his dinner with George Romero, his use of props during appearances, and his advice regarding not being too proactive exterminating zombies.

Q: What I admire most about your oeuvre is the seriousness with which you take zombie threats. How do you feel about films such as "Sean of the Dead" or "Zombieland" that use zombies for laughs? And how about vampires (as in "Twilight" or "True Blood") who try not to act like vampires?

A: I have nothing against zombie comedies. They help spread the word and keep the general morale high. As far as vampires go, well, we know vampires don't really exist, right?

'Recorded Attacks' Insights From Max Brooks

Digital Spy recently posted some words from Max Brooks. Brooks tells of his passion for history and how he always wanted to come back to the attacks documented at the end of the Survival Guide. "When I wrote Zombie Survival Guide, I always wanted to come back to the historic attacks at the end of the book. More than a zombie nerd or a science fiction nerd, I'm a history nerd. I was a history major in college - history is probably the only subject that allowed me to graduate high school."

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks is a comic book follow-up to Brooks' handbook.

Still Life For World War Z Movie

MTV had an opportunity to speak with author, Max Brooks, about the movie adaptation of World War Z. Click here to check out the entire article. To wet your appetite with some words from Brooks:

"You know... the studio comes in and gives their notes and [director Marc] Forster came in and gave his notes," he explained. "Carnahan was brought in for reasons unbeknownst to me. Maybe he's doing a polish, maybe he's doing a top-down rewrite. I know that his draft is supposed to come in in the next few weeks."

One thing is obvious: This is not going away. There will eventually be a movie adaptation of World War Z. For me, it can't come soon enough but I'll wait as long as it's worth it.

'Experts' Explain Why We Like Zombies

CNN.com tracked down some zombie "experts" to find out why we love zombies so much. I can't believe they didn't call me! It's an entertaining look at our favorite subject so head over there to take a look.

Here's a snippet I took from the article with words from Max Brooks about the questions he gets asked:

Instead of questions about writing, he said he often gets asked about the best type of ammunition to kill a zombie or the best way to prepare your house for the coming onslaught.

"I'd say 90 percent are saying, 'We all know it's fake; we're playing along,' " he said. "The other 10 percent are saying, 'We're ready!'

"And I'd say 10 percent of that 10 percent can't wait for it to happen."

Who Wants Free Max Brooks 'Recorded Attacks' Downloads?

As reported earlier, October 6th will bring us Max Brooks' latest, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. If you're eager to sport some free screen savers, desktop wallpapers, and even read a chapter, click here. ...Then start counting down the days!

While you're at it, check out Max Brooks on Countdown With Keith Olbermann by visiting MSNBC.com.

Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide: The Comic

This sounds like possibly the best comic book since Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead. Random House is releasing a comic by Max Brooks titled Recorded Attacks. This 144 page trade paperback is due for release on October 6th.

Beating a dead horse? Possibly. Am I excited? Definitely! I hope Brooks continues to write his zombie tales and wouldn't complain if we see a dozen more volumes of his Zombie Survival Guide.

Pre-order from Random House here. View a cool promo video of the upcoming book here.

World War Z - Disappointing News

The up-and-down news of the movie adaptation of Max Brooks' World War Z continues. The most recent news? Director Marc Forster is no longer directing!

This must-read novel NEEDS to be made as a movie. I'll keep taking the up-down news as long as it all ultimately makes for a better movie.

To be continued...

World War Z: New Movie News!

This news comes from Rabid Doll which they got from Bloody Disgusting who reported from an interview on Fangoria Radio. So check those links for the original info.

It looks like World War Z is still moving forward after reporting earlier that there would be some delays. Matthew Michael Carnahan ("The Kingdom," "State of Play") will be scripting the adaptation. This news comes from the book's author, Max Brooks, who also had this to say during the interview: “He’s one of Hollywood’s hot A-list writers, so if they went after him and paid him a mountain of gold, it definitely shows their confidence in this project.”