Scrapped ‘World War Z 2’ Was Similar to ‘The Last of Us,’ Says David Fincher – Armessa Movie News

David Fincher‘s vision for the follow-up to Brad Pitt‘s critically acclaimed zombie thriller from 2013, World War Z — which is still the highest-grossing zombie movie at the box office — was discarded for budgetary concerns back in 2019. Fincher had taken it on after the director J.A. Bayona had a falling out with Paramount Pictures. However, in a recent interview with GQ Magazine, David Fincher said, “Well, it was a little like The Last of Us. I’m glad that we didn’t do what we were doing because The Last of Us has a lot more real estate to explore the same stuff. In our title sequence, we were going to use the little parasite… they used it in their title sequence, and in that wonderful opening with the Dick Cavett, David Frost-style talk show.”

HBO’s The Last of Us, is a game-to-screen adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Its plot touches on a post-apocalyptic world decimated by a fungal infection, turning the infected into aggressive, zombie-like creatures. The camouflage discovered by Gerry Lane (played by Pitt) at the end of World War Z is an escape, not a solution. And this is exactly what would pave the way for Fincher’s canned sequel.

While the sequel was long-awaited and fans were eager to see the reunion of the acclaimed director with Pitt after Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher now thinks that HBO has been able to execute the idea just four years after at a much bigger level than we would have and that he’s happy about how things turned out — the sentiment was recently underscored by The Wrap too.

What Other Films Has David Fincher Directed?

Beyond the cult classic Fight Club, Fincher’s repertoire includes hits such as Se7en (also stars Pitt), Zodiac, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and Mank, to name a few. Each of these films was well received and carried his signature and meticulous attention to detail and dark, atmospheric storytelling.

Yet, when asked about revisiting his older works, particularly Fight Club, in the same conversation, Fincher had a rather candid response. He admitted, “I haven’t seen it in 20 years. And I don’t want to.” When probed further about his feelings towards his past movies, he compared it to looking back at grade school pictures, stating, “It’s like looking at your grade school pictures, or something. ‘Yeah, I was there.’”

Fincher’s upcoming feature The Killer has made its debut at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2023. It’s set for a select cinematic release on October 27, 2023, in the U.S. and will be available for streaming on Netflix from November 10, 2023, in the U.S.