Welcome to your new career, Marc Forster. Once you were the director of middling Oscar bait, but as of the release of Quantum of Solace, you’re a mainstream filmmaker.
First Forster attached himself to the dubiously titled Die Bad*, an actiony crime film, and now he’s set to direct the adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z, the sweeping novel about humanity fighting off a zombie plague.
I don’t know if Forster has read the book, though. “The genre always fascinated me, and when they pitched it to me, it reminded me of the paranoid conspiracy films of the ’70s like ‘All the President’s Men,'” he tells the trades. All the President’s Men? I don’t even know where the comparison is being drawn on that one, to be honest, except that World War Z is presented as an oral history compiled by a historian and journalists are sort of like historians? Was Richard Nixon actually a flesh eating ghoul (I can see it)?
There’s already a script out there, written by J Michael Straczynski, the terrible science fiction guy and the screenwriter of the atrocious Changeling. Between you and me I don’t see the point of making this film unless you make it like a talking heads documentary, and in that case I double can’t see the point of making it, since that’s just not a cinematic conceit.
Okay, I’m being too nitpicky on that point. That said, there’s a lot of room for improvement in Brooks’ book, which is written like he had no idea that people should have unique voices. There are lots of great concepts in the book, but as a whole it failed to inspire me. That said, I’m going to get my nerd on in a big way and say that World War Z would make a kick ass semi-anthology miniseries on HBO.
* sounds like either the Turkish version of Die Hard or a movie about rigged voting machines.
33 comments
Honestly Devin… more Changeling bashing?
'Die Bad' is clearly the cheap German version of 'Swiming pool'
World War Z was a good read but I found bizarre pro-democratic stance in the book to be annoying. Because all nations that survive the zombie apocalypse realize how great and awesome democracy is. Foster directing this movie.. I just don't see it.
I'd fellate Magic Johnson to get this made into a miniseries with different directors doing each separate chapter.
Re: David's comment –
David, you sir, are an utter Cunt.
To the mods: I'd suggest if you remove this comment, you also do so to the appallingly distasteful comment that I'm referring to.
Hey Devin – is there anybody you *don't* think is as good as you are?
Nobody seems to be as awesome as you in your little world.
You. Are. Full. Of. Shit.
re. Muzz – well played sir, well played.
Meh. I prefered Brian Keene's The Rising.
Errol Morris should direct WWZ.
Re: Jam Banjo "Re: David's comment – David, you sir, are an utter Cunt. To the mods: I'd suggest if you remove this comment, you also do so to the appallingly distasteful comment that I'm referring to."
Fuck off, you're only jealous you won't ever get the chance to fellate the magic out of Johnson.
J Straczynski is also the writer of the great Thor book, so yeah. You're fat, and you have a funny voice.
World War Z should be directed by Ken Burns.
When asked about the project at WonderCon, Straczynski said the movie would be the story of the writing of the book – with each interview subject's tale be dramatized in flashback. Could work.
Devin, did J Michael Straczynski touch you in your no-no place when you were young? Or recently, even? So much hate…
Lard Shit Devin probably saw a few minutes of a Babylon 5 episode one night in some post-twinkie bender haze and didn't like it.
Ok – I haven't seen Quantom yet, so I don't know how he is as a director, but as a writer, JMS has written some of the best comic book arcs, PLUS one of the best sci-fi shows on tv, Babylon 5. Go fuck off David!
It's easy to forget how incredible and groundbreaking B5 really was. I dare say that there would be no new BSG without the direct influence of B5. Also, Devin, when your butt boy Simon Pegg says "Bablylon 5 sucks" in Spaced…you do know it's meant to be a joke, right?
This is pleasing news. Despite the "one voice" writing, some of the societal themes in this book, not to mention some of the great action bits, would make a fine film. I'm hopeful and will continue to reserve judgment until we get something a little more concrete. I'm just glad it's finally moving forward again.
I find it funny that considering 75% of americans are obese, that you are all dog-piling on Devin. Compared to most, I bet Devin is one of the fitter americans on the internet.
I think this thread is a great example why Chud should turn these reader comments off: everyone is an asshole.
I can't really speak for anything else but it was JMS's run on Spider-man that turned me off to reading comics pretty much altogether. It was the single dumbest, most convoluted piece of psuedo-mythical tripe I have ever read. Everything else he may do may be great, but if anyone says his work on ASM was good I'll know to not trust their opinion on ANYTHING.
@Sysyphus
You are aware that you don't have to read the comments, right? No, seriously. Meanwhile, some of us like the comment feature.
78% Mediassassin… and we prefer to refer to it as "not meeting basic activity level recommendations," thank you very much.
J Michael Straczinski cast Gary Cole in a lead role, and for this alone he must be praised. I'm Hal Hartley, by the way.
I would love to see the Battle at Yonkers directed by Mark Forster.
obescity = terrorism, you're a traitor if you're fat cuz you're hurting your family, yourself and everyone else in the country with your lazy selfishness
Devin, thanks for offering the world another steaming pile of crap you call your life!
All of you need to die.
JMS the terrible sci-fi guy? Oh boy. I'm guessing you haven't read Rising Stars or actually watched The Babylon 5 series? Way to stick your foot in your mouth.
Babylon 5 eats my donkey balls. The makeup is so bad that people look like they have dongs glued to their faces.
Anybody defending that shit has crap taste and should shut the fuck up.
All I know is that WWZ was a good book and JMS wrote Spider-Man comics that sucked huge dick. Also, if Forster is directing, does that mean there's gonna be lots of cool shit happening but you can't see any of it, like in Quantum of Solace? Because I would be really excited by that.
World War Z should be directed by Kevin Smith! Good idea? GREAT IDEA!
"I'm going to get my nerd on in a big way and say that World War Z would make a kick ass semi-anthology miniseries on HBO."
Hell yes, these were my exact thoughts as I read the book.
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