Brad Pitt returning for World War Z sequel with Edward Berger directing

Brad Pitt is set to return for a sequel to World War Z, with Conclave director Edward Berger attached to direct the long-awaited follow-up for Paramount.

Berger will direct from a screenplay by Dennis Kelly, with Pitt returning to reprise his role as Gerry Lane, the former United Nations investigator at the centre of the 2013 zombie thriller. The project marks another collaboration between Pitt and Berger after they recently worked together on The Riders for A24.

The sequel has been in development for years, with Paramount previously attempting to bring the project to the big screen with Pitt and director David Fincher. That version ultimately fell apart, but the studio confirmed in April that another World War Z film was in active development.

The original World War Z, released in 2013, was directed by Marc Forster and based on Max Brooks’ 2006 novel. Pitt starred as Gerry Lane, who travels across the globe searching for a way to stop a rapidly spreading zombie pandemic.

The film became a commercial success, earning around $540 million worldwide and becoming one of Paramount’s notable releases of the year.

The new sequel is currently being developed at Paramount, with further details about its story, production schedule and release date yet to be announced. Berger’s involvement reunites him with Pitt following their work on The Riders, which is scheduled as another major collaboration between the filmmaker and actor.