World War Z Script Review
Its been a while since news hit that comic book author J. Michael Straczynski’s would adapt World War Z to film. We now get a first reaction to the script.
First Showing offers:
It is in essence just oral recollections from survivors of World War Z. This is not your typical zombie book and this won’t be your typical zombie movie. Moriarty goes as far as to call the movie potentially “a genre-defining piece of work” that could even get people “arguing about whether or not a zombie movie qualifies as Best Picture material.” Wow, that’s quite a powerful statement, but then again, we don’t even know what to expect yet.
This is pretty rave reviews for a Zombie flick. If it is in anyway accurate, it could really send the genre on its decomposing ass. (Decomposing in a good way, not a dying failing way)
I would really be interested in seeing the Zombie genre get a treatment like this. We have seen the emergence of the ZomCom with Sean of the Dead and Fido so why not make a true drama out of it? Zombies eat people, and those people are real and have loved ones and stories to tell. This impacts deeper than just a sensationalist scene of gore and undead eating habits.
So would you be interested in a ZomDram? Can I get credit if that turns into a word?
16 Comments, Comment or Ping
Herb
I’m a huge Stazynski fan (never missed Babylon 5, even the fith season), so I’m there.
Mar 27th, 2008
Sherrie
“ZomDram” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue :-P
But I can’t think of anything better… meanwhile I’d be interested in the movie, as long as it does not bore me like “28 Days Later” did (would that be classified as a zombie movie?)
Mar 27th, 2008
Sherrie
PS: Stazynski… this is positive for me, I like him from Spider-Man comics.
Mar 27th, 2008
Mr.Death
No way will any movie with zombies be taken seriously. Unless the zombie is played by Daniel Day Lewis.
Mar 27th, 2008
Rodney
Consider drama (pronounced draw-ma) then it rolls better than if you pronounced it drA-ma.
Say it with me now… ZomDrom … it rhymes. ;)
Mar 27th, 2008
Jonathan
That actually is pretty clever, Rodney. A quick google search shows you’re the only one on the intrawebs to say it!
Mar 27th, 2008
darren j seeley
“This is pretty rave reviews for a Zombie flick”
Uh…you mean script, don’t you?
“We have seen the emergence of the ZomCom with Sean of the Dead”
Eh..think back a bit, Rod. Sean Of The Dead may be good, but there was Dan O Bannon’s Return Of The Living Dead…heck, even Night Of The Creeps and CHUD.
One other thing.
On a brighter note Rod, you might have coined ZomDrom.
(Note: a drama/horror has already “been” done, although it deals with Zombies in the real sense - Wes Craven’s “Serpent And The Rainbow”)
Mar 27th, 2008
SacrificialLamb13
Maybe I’m just not understanding what you mean to say Rodney but,
The Author of “World War Z” is Max Brooks
JMS adapted into a script.
Your first paragraph makes it sound like JMS wrote the book since you say
“author J. Michael Straczynski’s World War Z would be adapted to film.”
Mar 27th, 2008
Will
I read that book about a week ago. I think this could be a FANTASTIC movie. Think saving private ryan but with zombies. The book itself is a series of interviews put togeather to paint a picture of how the world reacted to a zombie breakout. If they maintain that moteif they could even do a sin city/crash type story line. I don’t expect them to follow any one story from the book though as most are under 100 pages.
Mar 27th, 2008
DirkAnger23
WWZ is easily my favorite of the zombie novels that I’ve read, and trust me, I’ve read a few cause I’m a sucker for end-of-the-world type shit. I just hope that JMS does it some justice cause as WILL pointed out quite succinctly above that this novel really is akin to Saving Private Ryan with zombies between the battles described in amazingly gritty detail. Just the worldwide scope of the novel alone would make me plant down my $10 right now to see how they adapt this story. Can not wait for this my friends.
Mar 27th, 2008
Jonathan
I’m actually reading this right now. About 1/3 of the way through and while it’s a very interesting and neat take on zombies - I’m not particularly impressed. It’s good, and very well written, but I guess I was hoping it would be a book I had trouble putting down, which it isn’t.
Mar 27th, 2008
HisDivineShadow
Anything that JMS does…
I’m there.!
Mar 28th, 2008
Nick
It’s actually “Shaun of the Dead”
I wouldn’t normally care, but you guys are The Movie Blog….
Mar 28th, 2008
davidb
I highly recommend checking out both of Max Brooks’ zombie books - World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide. They are brilliant!
Mar 28th, 2008
J
I thought the book was great. As I read it I could visualize scenes from the inevitable movie. As with any adaptation though, it could be great, it could be really not great. I’ll be in line on opening night to see.
Mar 28th, 2008
Chark
So isn’t this AICN offers, as opposed to “First Showing”….? Why not credit the original story?
Back to topic- loved this book. Love that they’re staying true to the snippets in the treatment. IE- the book was a snippet of cool scenes that played into a glimpse of the world at large. This movie would probably not work as anything else and for that reason, why it could work in redefining a genre. Here’s to hoping.
Mar 28th, 2008
Reply to “World War Z Script Review”