David Fincher really wants to make World War Z 2.

Can Paramount bring the undead back from the dead?

Though the studio pulled the zombie tentpole World War Z 2 from its 2017 release schedule Tuesday, without targeting any future release date, director David Fincher, who has been rumored to be considering the project, is still "very creatively interested in directing the movie," says a source.

But if Paramount continues to drag its heels on the Brad Pitt starrer, the future viability of the potential franchise's appeal could begin to diminish, some rival executives say. And that would present a problem for a studio that boasts few viable franchises, particularly of the homegrown variety like World War Z. Insiders say the studio is now eyeing a 2018 or 2019 release date, even though it has yet to make a move to put the film back on the schedule.

The in-demand Fincher, who enjoys a close relationship with Pitt after having made a number of movies together including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Fight Club, was very much onboard with a new take on the sequel from writer Dennis Kelly, creator of the buzzy British show Utopia. In fact, Fincher and Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn had been collaborating on a U.S. remake of Utopia for HBO before that series fell apart over budget issues.

The budget on World War Z 2 was not an issue, say insiders. Fincher was looking to make the film about a man and his family navigating a zombie apocalypse at a budget less than the original's $190 million. But Paramount chief Brad Grey was not ready to green-light the follow-up to the 2013 hit, which grossed $540 million worldwide.

Grey's inaction has raised eyebrows in town considering Fincher's pedigree as a director who could elevate the property well beyond a genre film. The studio even has a financial partner to mitigate the risk since Skydance Prods. is co-producing and co-financing the film.

"He really would like to do it," says a source of Fincher's interest. "It's up to Paramount."

When the studio moved World War Z 2 from its schedule yesterday, the news was met with little surprise given that the film, which had been slated for June 9, had not begun filming and had no directing deal in place.

J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls) had originally been tapped to direct, but he left the project in January 2016. At the Toronto Film Festival in September, Bayona told THR that he'd decided to exit the project because he was not being given enough time to prep. "I loved those guys at Paramount and [Pitt's] Plan B," he said. "I just can't work like that."

If Paramount can get World War Z 2 moving forward, it won't be the first time the property, which is based on Max Brooks' novel of the same name, has overcome obstacles. The first World War Z, which was directed by Marc Forster, was fraught with problems during production, with expensive re-shoots taking place after test audiences complained about the third act.

Pitt is producing alongside Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Skydance's David Ellison. Ian Bryce, who produced the original, is no longer involved with the sequel. Steven Knight (Burnt) penned an earlier draft of the sequel.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-paramount-enlist-david-fincher-revive-world-war-z-sequel-972950

What I figured. Fincher wants to do it but Paramount not give him enough creative freedom.