“World War Z” is getting a sequel with an unexpected director

Pop culture’s zombie moment has never really been “over,” but it hit a new peak in 2013. That’s when World War Z, the movie based on Max Brooks’s novel, came out in theaters. With Brad Pitt as a lead, the movie was a pleasantly terrifying romp. It’s the exact kind of film that gets a sequel these days, but for years, World War Z 2 didn’t have any details.

We now finally have one, and it is something. None other than David Fincher has picked up the project.

Fincher is a pretty amazing get, but the pick isn’t actually as surprising as it may first seem. Fincher’s filmography has some non-horror-related films like The Social Network. But he has far more horror or horror-adjacent films in his catalog. I’m thinking specifically of moody, suspenseful work like Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and Seven. And, let’s not forget his first directing gig was for Alien 3.

Fincher’s announcement locks down a lot of questions you might have for a World War Z 2 sequel. The original film is punishingly tense in its beginning, and Fincher is likely to keep that tone throughout a sequel. Also probable is Brad Pitt’s return. The two are longtime collaborators, and it’s probably a calculated studio move to try to rope Pitt back in via Fincher.

We don’t know much else about World War Z 2, but anticipate it dropping a summer soon. Fingers crossed that somehow, Fincher and co. can slip in a (very NSFW) Enya feature.