World War Z (2013)

June 2, 2013 (Empire Cinema)June 21, 2013 (United States)

June 2, 2013 (Empire Cinema)
June 21, 2013 (United States)

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, along with an ensemble supporting cast including Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, and Matthew Fox.

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 generally 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.

Storyline

Former United Nations investigator Gerald "Gerry" Lane, his wife, Karin, and their two daughters, Rachel and Connie, are caught in traffic in downtown Philadelphia when a zombie outbreak hits. Escaping the ensuing chaos, they travel to Newark and pick up Tommy, a young boy whose family hunkered down in their apartment and refused to leave. They are 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 studies the outbreak. Among them is virologist Andrew Fassbach, who believes that the plague is caused by a virus and that 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 was received. Upon arrival, the group is attacked by zombies, causing a panicked Fassbach to slip on the plane ramp and accidentally shoot himself dead. 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 imprisoned there guides Gerry towards Israel, where the Mossad has established a secure area.

In Jerusalem, Gerry encounters Jurgen Warmbrunn, a high-ranking Mossad official, who mentions that intercepted communications of Indian troops fighting zombies is what led Israel to set up defenses. Jerusalem has protected itself by constructing a massive wall and allowing refugees to seek shelter within the city. However, the refugees' loud celebrations attract zombies, which instinctively form massive castells to overcome the wall. As 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. When one of Gerry's escorts, "Segen", is bitten on her hand, he amputates that limb to prevent her from turning. Together, they escape on a commercial airliner.

Gerry redirects the plane to a medical research facility in Cardiff owned by the World Health Organization. During the journey, a stowaway zombie attacks the passengers. To eliminate the zombies, Gerry detonates a grenade to breach the cabin and expel them; resulting in the plane's crash landing. With Gerry presumed killed, his family is relocated from the carrier to Nova Scotia.

Gerry and Segen survive the crash, although Gerry is trapped in his seat and has sustained injuries. Segen comes to Gerry's aid, and together, they reach the Cardiff facility. Exhausted and wounded, Gerry loses consciousness and wakes up three days later, having been treated by the WHO staff. Sharing his observations, Gerry deduces that the zombies ignore the sick or injured, as they are not suitable hosts for spreading the infection. He proposes injecting healthy individuals with a curable pathogen as a form of "camouflage" against the zombies. The pathogen samples are in a section of the WHO facility infested with zombies. Gerry, Segen, and the head doctor attempt to sneak through the lab but accidentally alert the zombies. The three are separated in a chaotic chase, with Segen and the doctor forced to retreat, leaving Gerry the only one able to reach the samples. Gerry retrieves the samples but is unable to leave because of a lone zombie blocking his path. Out of options, Gerry tests his theory by injecting himself with a sample. As he opens the door, his theory is proven correct: the zombie ignores him completely.

Gerry and Segen reach a secure area in Freeport, Nova Scotia and are reunited with Karin, Gerry's daughters and Tommy, who is now being raised by Karin and Gerry. A vaccine is created, serving as stealth against the zombies, enabling civilians to evacuate infected regions safely and empowering the military to combat the zombies more effectively.

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