[World War Z Straczynski Script Download Pdf
Saija Grzegorek
World War Z is a 2013 American action horror film directed by Marc Forster, with a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, and Damon Lindelof, from a story by Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski, inspired by the 2006 novel of the same name by Max Brooks. It stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who travels the world seeking a solution for a sudden zombie apocalypse,[12] along with ensemble supporting cast including Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale.
Pitt's Plan B Entertainment secured the film rights to Brooks' novel in 2007, and Straczynski was approached to write and Forster was approached to direct. In 2009, Carnahan was hired to rewrite the script. With a planned December 2012 release and a projected budget of $125 million, filming began in July 2011 in Malta, before moving to Glasgow in August and Budapest in October. The production suffered some setbacks, and, in June 2012, the release date was pushed back, and the crew returned to Budapest for seven weeks of additional shooting. Damon Lindelof was hired to rewrite the third act, but did not have time to finish the script, and Drew Goddard was hired to finish the rewrite. The reshoots took place between September and October 2012, ballooning the budget to a reported $190 million, although some publications have listed it as high as $269 million.
World War Z premiered in London on June 2, 2013, and was chosen to open the 35th Moscow International Film Festival. It premiered in New York and Los Angeles on June 14, and was theatrically released elsewhere in the United States on June 21. Reviews were mostly positive, with praise for Pitt's performance and for the film as a revival of the zombie genre, but criticism of what some felt was an anti-climax and a lack of faithfulness to the source material. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $540 million against a production budget of $190 million, making it the highest-grossing zombie film of all time. A sequel was announced shortly after the film's release, but was cancelled in February 2019, reportedly due to budget issues.[13]
Former United Nations investigator Gerald "Gerry" Lane, his wife, Karin, and their two daughters, Rachel and Connie, find themselves trapped in heavy traffic in Philadelphia just as the city gets overrun by zombies. During this chaotic situation, Gerry observes that it only takes 12 seconds for a bitten person to transform into an infected zombie. The family manages to reach Newark, where they seek shelter from a couple and their young son, Tommy. They are eventually rescued by a helicopter sent by Thierry Umutoni, the UN Deputy Secretary-General. The group is then taken to a US Navy vessel stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, where a team of scientists are diligently studying the outbreak. Among them is Andrew Fassbach, a virologist who firmly believes that the plague is caused by a virus and finding its origin is crucial for developing a vaccine. Faced with the threat of eviction from the vessel, Gerry reluctantly agrees to assist Fassbach.
Gerry, Fassbach, and a Navy SEAL escort fly to Camp Humphreys in South Korea, where the first report of zombies is received at this location, leading to an attack on the team upon arrival. This causes Fassbach to panic and unintentionally kill himself with his own gun. The team is saved by US soldiers stationed at the camp, and Gerry discovers that the infection was brought to the base by its doctor. A CIA officer, who is imprisoned there, guides Gerry towards Israel, where the Mossad had prior knowledge of the virus and established a secure area. During their departure from the base, Gerry and the pilot managed to escape despite being attacked by zombies.
In Jerusalem, Gerry encounters Jurgen Warmbrunn, a high-ranking Mossad official, who informs him about intercepted communications revealing that Indian troops are fighting zombies. Jerusalem has managed to protect itself by constructing a massive wall and allowing refugees to seek shelter within the city. However, the loud celebrations of the refugees attract zombies, leading to breaches in the wall. As chaos ensues and the city becomes overrun, Warmbrunn instructs Israeli soldiers to accompany Gerry back to his plane. Amidst the mayhem, Gerry observes zombies ignoring an elderly man and a malnourished boy who remains motionless on the ground. When one of Gerry's escorts, named "Segen," gets bitten on her hand, he amputates the infected limb to prevent further spread of the infection. Together, they manage to escape on a commercial airliner.
Gerry calls Thierry and requests that he redirect the plane to a medical research facility in Cardiff owned by the World Health Organization. During the journey, a stowaway zombie attacks the passengers. In an attempt to eliminate the zombies, Gerry detonates a grenade to breach the cabin and expel them; the resulting explosion causes the plane to crash land.
Gerry and Segen manage to survive the crash, although Gerry is trapped in his seat and has sustained injuries. Segen comes to Gerry's aid, and together, they make their way to the Cardiff facility. However, Gerry loses consciousness due to his injuries and wakes up three days later after receiving medical treatment from the WHO staff. He shares his theory with the WHO scientists, suggesting that the zombies ignore people who are already terminally ill or injured, as they are not suitable hosts for infection. Gerry proposes injecting healthy individuals with a curable pathogen as a form of "camouflage" against the zombies. Unfortunately, the pathogen samples are located in a section of the WHO facility infested with zombies. Gerry, Segen, and the head doctor must fight through the lab. Just as Gerry is about to leave, a lone zombie blocks his path, compelling him to test his theory by injecting himself. As Gerry opens the door, his theory is proven correct as the zombie ignores him, allowing him to safely pass the remaining zombies with the pathogen samples in his possession.
Gerry and Segen reach a secure area in Freeport, Nova Scotia, where he is reunited with his family. A vaccine is promptly created, serving as stealth against the zombies, enabling civilians to evacuate infected regions safely and empowering the military to combat the zombies more efficiently.
In addition, Elyes Gabel plays Andrew Fassbach, a soon-dead virologist whom Gerry escorted to South Korea. Matthew Fox appears as a crew member of the Navy vessel the Lanes stay on, although most of his scenes were cut from the final film.
After a bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way Productions, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment secured the screen rights to Max Brooks' novel in 2007.[14] The first draft of the screenplay was written by J. Michael Straczynski, who identified the challenge in adapting the work as "creating a main character out of a book that reads as a UN report on the zombie wars."[15] Marc Forster signed on to direct, and described the film as reminiscent of 1970s conspiracy thrillers like All the President's Men (1974).[16] Straczynski identified the 2002 spy film The Bourne Identity as an appropriate comparison, and noted that the film would have a large international scope that maintained the political emphasis.[17] When asked about his involvement with the film, Brooks stated he had "zero control", but favored a role for Pitt,[18] and expressed approval for Straczynski as screenwriter.[19][20] Brooks said: "I can't give it away, but Straczynski found a way to tie it all together. The last draft I read was amazing."[21]
An early script was leaked onto the internet in March 2008, leading to a review by Ain't It Cool News that called it "[not] just a good adaptation of a difficult book [but] a genre-defining piece of work that could well see us all arguing about whether or not a zombie movie qualifies as 'Best Picture' material".[22] The script was well-enough respected to find a place on the 2007 Black List of "most liked" screenplays not yet produced.[23] The Ain't It Cool News review also noted the film appears stylistically similar to Children of Men (2006), following Gerry Lane as he travels the post-war world and interviews survivors of the zombie war who are "starting to wonder if survival is a victory of any kind."[22]
In December 2008, Straczynski said he hoped the film would begin production by the start of 2009,[17] but, in March 2009, Forster said the script was still in development and he was not sure if World War Z would be his next film.[24] Later in March, rumors surfaced that production offices were set up and the film was in early pre-production.[25] Then, in June, Forster told an interviewer that the film would be delayed, stating that its script still needed a lot of development and was "still far from realization".[26]
Brooks revealed that the script was being re-written by Matthew Michael Carnahan in July 2009. He said he believed this "show[ed] [the producer's] confidence in this project" because of the amount of money that was being invested in it.[27] Paramount Pictures and UTV Motion Pictures announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con that Forster was set as director, and Pitt was confirmed to be playing the lead role.[28] In March 2011, it was reported on Vulture that Paramount was searching for a co-financier, and would likely pull the plug on the adaptation without one.[29] The article also stated that "an eleventh-hour effort is being made to court frequent Paramount co-financier David Ellison." A week later, it was reported that "hot and heavy talks are going on with David Ellison's Skydance Productions and as many as two other financiers."[30]
Pre-production began in April 2011, with Robert Richardson being announced as the cinematographer and Nigel Phelps as production designer.[31] In the same month, it was reported that filming locations would include Pinewood Studios and London, England.[32] Also in April, Mireille Enos was cast as Gerry Lane's wife and mother of their two children.[33]
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