If I'm going to read the book at all, I'll usually do it before I see the book-to-screen adaptation, but that didn't happen with World War Z. I didn't actually read Max Brooks' 2006 novel, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, until years after Marc Forster's adaptation starring Brad Pitt hit the big screen. I'd heard that the movie wasn't a faithful adaptation of the original story, and book fans weren't kidding. When I did finally read World War Z and learned firsthand just how different it is from the movie, I had no trouble understanding the frustration and ire that Brooks' fans had over not getting a proper screen adaptation of his oral history-style zombie tale.
As Great As The Book Is, I Still Like The Movie
The film's version of World War Z stars Brad Pitt as a former U.N. investigator who's tasked with trying to solve the rapidly brewing crisis happening in the form of a zombie-like plague that's wreaking havoc on every corner of the planet. Given the number of zombie-focused stories out there, I really like that this one centers on a pro-level problem-solver trying to get to the bottom of the situation before it's too late (rather than the standard just-trying-to-survive tale we typically see).
It's been over a decade since the first movie hit theaters, and though there have been updates about the sequel during that time, it seemed like World War Z 2 might never happen. Then last week, Deadline reported that Pitt was teaming with Edward Berger on the sequel. He and Berger worked together on the upcoming A24 movie The Riders, and if all goes as planned, they'll reteam for the WWZ sequel. Here's hoping things actually do move forward with this new plan. It's unclear what the movie will be about, as Brooks' book doesn't have a sequel. The author did make his debut with The Zombie Survival Guide, which preceded World War Z. Whether or not the guide factors into the plot of the upcoming sequel in some way is unknown. Deadline says Dennis Kelly is working on the script.
The Book Deserves A Faithful Adaptation
I'll absolutely see the new movie if and when it happens, but can we please talk about the book for a minute? I really think it's a missed opportunity not to try to bring Brooks' novel to the big (or small) screen with something that truly embraces (or remotely resembles) the source material. Brooks' book is written in an oral history style, bouncing from one person's account to the next in order to explain the zombie plague across the globe. I really, really want to see a movie (or a TV show) that does something similar.
I think the obvious approach would be a faux documentary or docuseries that breaks down these apocalyptic events from those who survived to describe their experience. With a mix of interviews, found footage and dramatic reenactments, we could be drawn into the story from multiple perspectives (instead of one central character) and experience it as though it were an actual historic global event.
Obviously, if a separate adaptation were to actually happen, there'd need to be some tweaking to the title in order to distinguish the new book adaptation from the Brad Pitt movie(s), but I doubt fans would mind an alteration here if it means we finally get a real adaptation of Brooks' novel.
Maybe this is all just wishful thinking, but I hope a more book-accurate adaptation of the original novel isn't entirely off the table, now that the original movie is getting a follow-up. In the meantime, I'm absolutely hopeful that I'll enjoy World War Z 2 as much as I did the original movie.
You can watch World War Z streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. And if you haven't read World War Z, you can pick up a copy of Max Brooks' book at Amazon and other places where books are sold.
