How many of you caught the new James Bond movie QUANTUM OF SOLACE? Well, I thought it was a complete bore and lacked any thrills that a Bond movie should have, which is why I am frightened that director Marc Forster is going to be adapting World War Z for Paramount Pictures. In a new interview with writer J. Michael Straczynski, I have found a whole new reason to be paranoid... the film is said to be compared to THE BOURNE IDENTITY (yikes). Read on for the skinny.
Straczynski talked with MTV a bit about the plans for his adaptation of WORLD WAR Z, which will be directed by QUANTUM OF SOLACE director Marc Forster.
“We talk about it as a thriller, the closest comparison being ‘The Bourne Identity,’” explained Straczynski, who’s also penning a “Forbidden Planet” revisiting. But at least there's something to look forward to, such as a sea of zombies.
“Most zombie movies to this point have been small, focusing on a few people in a house. And this has got real scare. You’re in India with hundreds of boats trying to get out of there with a tidal wave of zombies. The scale of what we’re doing here is phenomenal.”
As for how he plans to adapt the novel, which is written from the perspective of a United Nations agent reporting on the events of the zombie outbreak through interviews and eyewitness statements, Straczynski said he plans to preserve that storytelling angle as much as possible. In fact, the movie will serve to show how the book was produced in Brooks’ zombie-infested world.
“The fictional concept of the book is that its written by someone with the UN, so let’s tell that story,” he explained to MTV News. “Let’s show the book being written. We follow this guy all over the world as he goes on these interviews, and he has his own personal story as well. You’re cutting between the past and the present, how he got to this point.
“It has that international feel to it, and because it goes backward and forward in time, we can cherry-pick our favorite moments in the book,” continued Straczynski. “Some of it is crazy in scale. It’s huge. It’s as political as the book was. And it ends with that book being completed.”
"tidal wave of zombies" - Sounds pretty good to me. I think the Bourne Idenity thing is more along the line of following the story of that one character...you know like Bourne. It's mostly his journey, not just a group of people and it's anyones guess on who ends up surviving.
i loved the bourne films and really did enjoy Marc's bond movie, i didn't find it boring, watchin it a second time I found it was kind of fun to watch. It would be real interesting to see how this turns out but I hope they actually follow a story or would people prefer a doc like film
This sounds great to me. It sounds like it has the feel of the book by showing what is happening everywhere. As for 'The Bourne Identity' feel, maybe they just mean that it takes the viewer to several different worldwide locations? That could possibly be it. The book World War Z is definitely not a typical horror film. I can see this working.
When the HELL is the great zombie apocalypse film going to come out - I thought this would be it. The technology is there - city devastation and chaos (LIFEFORCE), family trying to survive on rooftops and get into the house for food and water... Why even bother referencing BOURNE IDENTITY? Travel the world and see the experiences of one guy as he sees the world succumb to the undead? No horror director? Ive officially lost faith, am jumping ship, and am waiting until this comes out. Somebody take my screenplay for THEY CAME FROM WITHIN THE EARTH and lets make the damn movie people us zombie fanatics have been waiting for... gut wrenching, gore splattered, horrifying, sad and brutal zombie flick. The dead coming back to life would be a HORRIFYING reality - scary and sad. Im not feeling WORLD WAR Z at all
From what I got was that maybe they are going for a political thriller? I am just glad he isn't tossing the source material and cultivating a new plot that doesn't follow the plot at all. The fact that he mentions the past/present scenarios cements it too.
We don't know yet, but considering that the adaption is in good hands, I wouldn't disregard this movie yet.
All you kids need to relax...the movie is scheduled to come out till 2010. That's right 2010. So making judgments about a very brief interview from the writer during pre-production is somewhat baseless. The book was a great read, and I look forward to it, whether or not the movie is a "thriller". And I'd much rather have a competent director behind this than a horror director. Speaking of which, who even are the decent horror directors?
This might be a breath of fresh air for the raped zombie genre BUT I usually feel as though thrillers are either anemic horror movies or cash tappers. But I have yet to see a non horror, action, or comedy flick. Next stop, 90210. Oh snap, they beat me to it.
O MY GOD this sounds awesome especially that whole tidal wave of zombies thing. They said it's like the Bourne movies, so does that mean theres going to be lots of sick zombie action/fighting.
I don't have a problem with this. Having read the book, it is actually more of a thriller than a horror story. There isn't a whole lot of gore for example. It is a very political story.
This could go either way. The book is amazing, and I do agree that it's less of a horror movie and more of a thriller/suspense with a zombie backdrop. A new spin on things, and hell, Romero's zombie films were always much much more than horror films.
The Book is absolutely awesome! There's so much material in it that would be awesome for a movie, i really hope they don't screw it up!
SPOILER:
Really hope they do the part where the American troops are waiting for the Zombie horde whilst listening to the Trooper by Iron Maiden! :D
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