Last night, Brad Pitt came to Hoboken, New Jersey for an early screening of his new film World War Z. Here are five fast facts you need to know about the movie.
1.The Movie is based on a Book
Written by Max Brooks, the book is an oral history of a fictional zombie war. The main character is an unnamed narrator who meets with various characters all over the globe to get their reactions on the plague. From government officials to ordinary citizens, the narrator listens to numerous stories on how people protected themselves. The book came out in 2006 and received critical acclaim for its international focus, among other qualities. When the word of mouth began to spread, a particular A-list actor took notice.
2. Problems Plagued The Production
Plan B Entertainment, Pitt’s production company, secured rights to the book in 2007. Hoping to turn the book into a globe-hopping sci-fi horror trilogy, the film was pummeled by negative press since it went into production. From rotating through three screenwriters to an alleged “conflict” between Mr. Pitt and the director, it hasn’t been an easy journey to the upcoming summer release.
3.Opening Weekend needs to be Huge
Despite all the issues on set, World War Z has a lot riding on it. The colossal budget rumors combined with the barrage of bad publicity means the movie has to open huge for that weekend. Paramount and Plan B Entertainment are keeping their fingers crossed since the film is a huge investment on both sides. It also could become a franchise for Pitt to work with, which means the illustrious actor can add action hero to his impressive resume.
4.Pitt Surprises Hoboken Audience
Originally intended to be released December 2012, World War Z is slated to arrive June 21st. While the silver screen shows the actor fighting back against the undead hordes, Pitt is waging another war off screen. Last night, I was part of the audience attending an early screening of the film who witnessed Mr. Angelina Jolie stroll into the Hoboken movie theater to introduce it. Smart move on the actors’ part; it was a great way to begin building buzz for a flick that so desperately needs.
5. What To Expect
While I’ll have a more detailed review once the release date gets closer, all I can say is this movie did not disappoint. As Pitt said,
“We got a monster film for you. It’s epic. It’s scary as hell and I guarantee you its the most intense thing you’re gonna see all summer. So Jersey, enjoy!”
You’ve never seen zombies like this before and the action never lets up. Screams kept filtering through the crowd as we all watched the various attempts to quell to undead invasion. While not completely faithful to original novel, the zombie genre clearly has a lot of life left. Check back soon for a full review!