World War Zzzzzz...

[AndyK]

This has been a favourite read since I first bought it in 2006. A terrific take on a worldwide zombie apocalypse told through post-apocalypse interviews with individual survivors/eye witnesses. Very different from the usual man-and-family-trying-to-survive-zombies-with-various-predictable-zombiefodder-stories-along-the-way or lone-medic-discovers-virus-that-reanimates-the-dead-and-battles-for-a-cure-before-it's-too-late novellas.

So I was really, REALLY, looking forward to the film of the book scheduled for release in December this year. I had deliberately not been googling for spoilers or teaser trailers because I didn't want my cinema experience spoiled. But following discussions in the zombie survival thread my curiosity was again aroused.
I was looking forward to the big screen interpretations of the Battle of Yonkers, the millions strong zombie swarms sweeping plains, cities, and countries, the last stand of General Raj Singh's men at the battle of Ghandi Park, the implementation of the Redeker Plan in South Africa, the armadas of survivor ships, Captain Chen and the renegade Chinese nuclear sub…

Now I find the story has been butchered, and is based around a lone UN employee traveling the world to prevent the outbreak before WW Z. Different timeline, different characters. So basically nothing like the book. At all. Other than the name of the film. Oh, and it has zombies. But apparently they're fast zombies, so even that's not like the book.

A story that had the potential to be the scale of LOTR trashed by Hollywood and turned into just another generic Z film and nothing special.

Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe it.

[geraldc]

I had a lot of friends who were up for extra roles in that film, but they all got cut. Apparently it overspent their budget, and they're looking for more money to finish the film.

[AndyK]

It just such a shame. This was an opportunity to make an outstanding film and they've thrown it away.

[ferret]

typical hollywood i'd say, they even re-write history to suit the american consumer.

[Jakob]

Our London office is working on it and from the clips I've seen, it looks awesome. (And I'm probably breaking my NDA just posting that)

[AndyK]

If the story is nothing like the book then no amount of looking awesome will save it. (no disrespect intended towards you or your work).

[Jakob]

No offense taken!. I have not read the script, but I don't think your interpretation of the screenplay is entirely correct.

[mattc]

typical hollywood i'd say, they even re-write history to suit the american consumer.

Be grateful - they could have corrupted the facts even more by leaving the zombies out.

Peeps should get over this idea that film adaptations should slavishly follow books. It's a different medium - you can't just act it out in front of some cameras and expect something decent.

[AndyK]

typical hollywood i'd say, they even re-write history to suit the american consumer.

Be grateful - they could have corrupted the facts even more by leaving the zombies out.

Peeps should get over this idea that film adaptations should slavishly follow books. It's a different medium - you can't just act it out in front of some cameras and expect something decent.

What they have done with World War Z is the equivalent of taking The Lord of the Rings, ditching all the characters except Fatty Bolger, making him into an all-conquering hero, and having him kill Sauron in Mirkwood before Bilbo goes to the Lonely Mountain.

The only thing the film has in common with the book is zombies, and even they are wrong (if the blogging sites are to be believed) because they're 'fast' zombies, so not actually zombies at all.