World War Z: Pitt reinvents the zombie genre

MANILA, Philippines - Through a series of oral interviews, an agent of the United Nations Postwar Com- mission describes the history of World War Z. Although the origin of the zombie pandemic is unknown, the story begins in China where a young boy becomes the pandemic’s patient zero — (implied not the first victim chrono- logically), at which the Chinese government attempts to contain the infection and concocts a crisis involving Taiwan to mask their activi- ties. The infection is spread to other countries by the black market organ trade and by refu- gees, before an outbreak brings the plague to public attention.

As the infection spreads, Israel initiates a nationwide quarantine and closes its bor- ders to everyone except uninfected Jews and Palestinians, putting down an ultra-Orthodox uprising. Pakistan and Iran destroy each other in a nuclear war after the Iranian gov- ernment attempts to stem the flow of refugees fleeing through Pakistan.

When the world recognizes the true extent of the problem, a Great Panic begins. Follow- ing the loss of New York City, the US Army sets up a high-profile defense at Yonkers, New York from which the US military wields anti-tank weapons and demoraliza- tion through wounding; but these prove ineffective against zombies, which “can’t be shocked and awed,” have no self-preserva- tion instincts, and can only be stopped if shot through the head. The soldiers are routed on live television, while other countries suffer similarly disastrous defeats and human civili- zation nears collapse.

The US eventually establishes safe zones west of the Rocky Mountains, and spends much of the next decade eradicating the pandemic in that region. All aspects of civilian life are devoted to supporting the war effort against the pandemic. Much of it resembles total war strategies: Rationing of fuel and food, cultivation of private gardens and civilian neighborhood patrols. The US government also initiates a “Re-education Act” to train the civilian population for the war effort, as other countries use humiliating public punishment to restore order.

That’s the story of World War Z topbilled by Brad Pitt.

After a bidding war with Leonardo Di- Caprio’s production company Appian Way, Brad’s Plan B Entertainment secured the screen rights to the novel in 2007. The screen- play was written by Babylon 5 and Rising Stars creator J. Michael Straczynski, who identified the challenge in adapting the work as “creat- ing a main character out of a book that reads as a UN Report on the zombie wars.”

Pre-production began in April 2011 with Robert Richardson announced as the cin- ematographer. In the same month, it was reported that filming locations would include

Pinewood Studios and London. Also in April, Mireille Enos was cast as Pitt’s wife and mother of their two children. In June 2011, James Badge Dale entered negotiations to join the film as an American soldier who tries to alert authorities that the zombie threat is real.

On a budget of $125M, World War Z began principal photography in July 2011 in Malta, with the first images of production being released a few days later. Filming was set to move to Glasgow, Scotland in August with the production company looking to recruit 2,000 local extras for the shoot. At least

3,000 people showed up at a casting call in Glasgow on July 9, hoping for the oppor- tunity to appear in a scene set in a financial district in Philadelphia.

In March 2013, it was reported that Para- mount changed a scene in the film in which the characters speculate that the zombie out- break originated in mainland China in hopes of landing a distribution deal in the country. It was also revealed that several of the scenes shot in Budapest were dropped from the final cut in order to water down the film’s politi- cal undertones, and steer it towards a more generally friendly summer blockbuster.

Reviewers have noted that author Brooks uses World War Z as a platform to criticize government ineptitude, corporate corruption and human short-sightedness.

Brooks has also criticized American isola- tionism:

“I love my country enough to admit that one of our national flaws is isolationism. I wanted to combat that in World War Z and maybe give my fellow Americans a window into the political and cultural workings of other nations. Yes, in World War Z some nations come out as winners and some as losers, but isn’t that the case in real life as well? I wanted to base my stories on the historical actions of the countries in question, and if it of- fends some individuals, then maybe they should re-examine their own nation’s history.”

It also stars Daniella Kertesz as a female Israeli soldier, James Badge Dale as Captain Speke, US Army special forces officer, David Morse as Gunter Haffner, a prisoner living in an abandoned jail, Ludi Boeken, Fana Mokoena and Abigail Hargrove as Rachel, Gerry’s daughter.

World War Z is a Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions presentation directed by Marc Forster. It is distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Enter- tainment Corp. It opens in theaters on June 19.