The 'World War Z' sequel and 'Friday the 13th' reboot have been pulled from Paramount's 2017 release calendar.
- Feb 7, 2017
AceShowbiz - "World War Z 2" and "Friday the 13th (2017)" can't seem to find their way out of development hell. Paramount Pictures announces that both long-gestating movies are pulled from the studio's 2017 release calendar. Moviegoers won't be able to catch Brad Pitt in "World War Z" sequel on its original release date, June 9. Meanwhile, the "Friday the 13th" reboot is no longer set for an October 13 release.
Earning $540 million worldwide, "World War Z" became a surprise hit at box office back in 2013, despite the mixed reviews. The sequel was quickly planned with an eye to releasing it on June 9. However, the sequel seems to have troubles hiring a director. J.A. Bayona dropped out of the project a year ago to finish post-production on "A Monster Calls" before moving on to "Jurassic World 2".
Ever since, Paramount hasn't announced the replacement. Rumor has it, its star and producer Brad Pitt was in talks with David Fincher to take over the directorial job. Paramount is reportedly preparing the sequel's script aiming at a 2018 or 2019 release date.
"Friday the 13th" reboot has been delayed several times. The movie was originally slated for a 2015 release, but most recently got pushed back to October 13. The studio now decides to push back the movie even further to an unknown release date.
Although Paramount doesn't set a new release date for the horror movie sequel, the pic seems to be in a better production progress compared to "World War Z 2". Breck Eisner ("The Last Witch Hunter") is reportedly set to helm the "Friday the 13th" reboot, with Aaron Guzikowski from "Prisoners" writing the script.
Good news comes from Jennifer Lawrence-led "Mother!", which will take over the October 13 slot. The movie, which is directed by Darren Aronofsky, revolves around a couple whose relationship is forced to face a hardship upon arrival of unwanted guests. The pic will also star Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson and Ed Harris.
