By now, we all pretty much know about the struggles the filmmakers had while making “World War Z.” In spite of the fact that the film actually turned out to be a major success, initial reports of its “inevitable failure” hit everyone involved with the film pretty hard. The Hollywood Reporter has a very interesting piece about Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B (who made the film). The article goes into how criticism of the production of “World War Z” affected the producers involved, mentally, and they delve into how the surprise success of the film, along with the positive festival response of “12 Years a Slave” has left the company feeling pretty good about themselves.
Unfortunately, not everyone involved in “World War Z” is eager to step back into that world for its eventual sequel. THR notes in the article that, despite the fact that Plan B is in the middle of developing a sequel, director Marc Forster will not be returning. Perhaps not a surprise given the rumored clashes on set. “We are going to investigate a script. We have a lot of ideas we will cull from. Nobody is writing just yet, but we are compiling our ideas,” Pitt says, so we’re probably far away from finding out who the film’s director will wind up being. Meanwhile, what is Marc Forster planning on doing next? Last we heard, he had signed up to helm “Imagining Nathan” for Disney, but that was over a year ago. Given how emotionally draining “World War Z” must have been we would not blame him for taking a break between projects.
In other director-related news, Kim Jee-Woon (“The Last Stand,” “I Saw the Devil”) has signed on to helm “Coward,” which is based off the Ed Brubaker graphic novel. Brubaker also adapted the screenplay and the story is said to be about “a second-generation heist planner who can be relied on to have a bulletproof exit plan.” No word yet on casting or when production is expected to start, but we’re likely to hear more info soon. [Variety]
Fresh off their major worldwide success, “The Intouchables,” director duo Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache are now on board to direct “Samba.” The French-language film will reteam the filmmakers with Omar Sy, with Charlotte Gainsbourg also on board, for the project that’s described as a “social comedy” with Omar Sy playing an undocumented immigrant. Filming is to begin later this month with an aim for a late 2014 release. Omar Sy will also be starring in next year’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” while Gainsbourg has Lars von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac” films on her slate. Needless to say, 2014 will be an interesting year for both actors. [Variety]
Lastly, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the directors behind the “Harold and Kumar” films, have found a follow-up to their last film “American Reunion.” And much like the first “American Pie” movie, this untitled comedy formerly known as “Cherries” centers on a couple of high school kids who are determined to lose their virginity on prom night. The twist? The kids are girls and the main characters are the fathers who are trying to stop their daughters from making good on their pact. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have signed on as producers alongside Good Universe producers Nathan Kahane and Joe Drake, all of whom were involved in the production of “This is the End.” [Deadline]