Hollywood star Brad Pitt is set to return for the long-awaited sequel to his 2013 zombie thriller movie "World War Z".
Edward Berger, the award-winning director of "Conclave" and "All Quiet on the Western Front", will helm the film, which will see Pitt reprise his role of former UN investigator Gerry Lane.
The sequel, being developed by Paramount Pictures, will be written by British screenwriter Dennis Kelly, reported Variety.
Pitt will also produce the film alongside Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through their production banner Plan B Entertainment. Berger will serve as executive producer.
Plot details of the sequel are being kept under wraps.
Pitt and Berger reunite for second project
The movie will mark second collaboration between Pitt and Berger. The duo recently collaborated on "The Riders", an upcoming psychological thriller based on Tim Winton's novel.
"World War Z", which was directed by Marc Forster and starred Pitt as Lane, a former United Nations employee who is drawn back into action when a rapidly spreading zombie pandemic threatens to bring down governments and decimate humanity.
Based on Max Brooks' 2006 novel "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War", the film followed Lane as he travelled across different parts of the world in a race against time to understand the origins of the outbreak and find a way to stop it.
Original film crossed USD 540 million
The original film also starred Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale and Daniella Kertesz. It earned more than USD 540 million at the worldwide box office and became the highest-grossing zombie film at the time.
The sequel has had a long and troubled journey to the screen.
Filmmaker David Fincher was previously attached to direct, with Pitt expected to return, but that version of the project was eventually scrapped in 2019.
In April, Paramount announced that a new "World War Z" film was in development, without initially revealing its director or cast.
Edward Berger and Brad Pitt's upcoming projects
Berger won an Academy Award for his 2022 war drama "All Quiet on the Western Front" and then directed the 2024 papal thriller "Conclave".
Pitt was last seen in "F1: The Movie", in which he played veteran Formula One driver Sonny Hayes.
He currently stars in David Ayer's survival thriller "Heart of the Beast", which will be followed by "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth", in which he reprises his Oscar-winning role of stuntman Cliff Booth.