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EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt To Star In 'World War Z,' Paramount Options 'Zombie Survival Guide' And 'Recorded Attacks'

Posted 7/21/10 11:31 pm EST by in Hot Stuff, News


World War ZComic-Con is barely underway in San Diego and we already have some big news from the show floor!

While chatting up "World War Z" author Max Brooks at the booth for comic publisher Avatar Press, the writer confirmed to MTV News that the adaption of his novel about the zombie apocalypse is not only moving forward, but Brad Pitt is now officially attached to star in the film. Additionally, Brooks revealed that Paramount has optioned the movie rights to two more of his projects: "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" graphic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment first secured the rights to "World War Z" back in 2007 after a bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio's company, Appian Way. The actor has long been rumored as a potential lead for the film, but Brooks received the call confirming Pitt's attachment (and the other "Survival Guide" deals) while signing copies of the books at the Avatar booth tonight (Wednesday, July 21) during Preview Night at Comic-Con. Read More...

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Newsweek Reports ZOMBIE OUTBREAK! Konami Code To Blame!

Posted 6/14/10 6:06 pm EST by in Humor


Stay calm everybody. There's no need to panic. Not unless a dessicated corpse is clawing at your head, trying to feast on the sweet, juicy mind grapes contained therein!!!

We all knew this day would come, and now it has. Thanks to the good folks at Newsweek, we now know that a zombie outbreak has occurred. I hope you all read Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide." And those who have, I hope you're gathering supplies then ascending to the upper floors of the building you live in and knocking out the lower level stairs. Help will come. And if it doesn't... well... all is probably lost anyway.

The powers-that-be are trying to cover this up, but don't be fooled. Go to Newsweek's homepage and type in the "Konami Code" -- up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, [ENTER] -- to get the straight facts. And if you believe all of this, proceed past the jump to learn an even deeper truth. Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'World War Z' Script Is Still 'A Few Weeks' Away, Max Brooks Says

Posted 4/22/10 1:07 pm EST by in News


Max Brooks, the author of "World War Z," told us back in October that a script for the movie adaptation -- originally written by J. Michael Straczynski and currently getting a rewrite from Matthew Michael Carnahan -- was a few weeks away. MTV Splash Page editor Rick Marshall spoke with Brooks at C2E2 last week and asked him for an update. The short version? A script is still coming, still close.

"As far as I know, the whole world, from you to me to the fans here [at C2E2] to guys sitting in caves in Afghanistan, are all waiting for Matt Carnahan to finish his latest draft," he said. "That should happen within a few weeks, that's what I'm hearing." Read More...

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'World War Z' Author Max Brooks Shares His Favorite Halloween Zombie Flicks

Posted 10/27/09 3:00 pm EST by in Commentary, Guest Bloggers


For most of you, Max Brooks needs no introduction. He wrote the novel "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War," which is currently on the road to getting a big screen adaptation with Marc Forster directing a script from Matthew Michael Carnahan.

Brooks was kind enough to take some time to chat with me a few weeks ago while he was promoting the Starz Inside documentary, "Zombiemania," which you can catch replays of this week (check your local listings for times). During the interview, I had to ask for a kickass zombie movies list to run with this week's special Halloween coverage. Brooks was more than happy to oblige, and he delivered quite a list. The last one in particular blew my mind, and I welcome anyone who's seen it to write in their reviews in the comments section below or @MTVMoviesBlog on Twitter. Read More...

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A New 'World War Z' Script Due 'In The Next Few Weeks,' Says Author Max Brooks

Posted 10/5/09 5:00 pm EST by in News


If you haven't read it, "World War Z" is one of the sharpest books to be released in the past decade. Set in a grim possible future, the book is presented as a series of interviews with survivors of a globe-spanning zombie war, an incident which very nearly brought about the downfall of human society. Author Max Brooks, the son of Hollywood filmmaker Mel Brooks, employs the full spectrum of commentary to create a frighteningly believable scenario in which the human race responds to a complete societal breakdown.

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Brooks, who is busy promoting his upcoming appearance on the Starz Inside special Zombiemania, premiering October 13 at 10pm. He was more than happy to discuss the adaptation plans for "Z," which was picked up by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment a few years ago. Read More...

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'World War Z' Author Max Brooks Is Gripped By 'Zombiemania'

Posted 10/2/09 4:00 pm EST by in News


Zombies. They're kind of a big deal these days. The release of "Zombieland" this week is only the latest example. The past few years have seen a surge in popularity for the mindless flesh-eaters, with films ("Shaun of the Dead") comics ("The Walking Dead," soon to be a TV show) and video games ("Left 4 Dead").

Books too: in 2006, Max Brooks published "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War," one of the most unique and original takes on the shambling movie monster popularized in the 1960s by George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead." The author added his voice to a number of others -- Romero included -- for a discussion of zombies in the present-day cultural zeitgeist on the Starz Inside documentary "Zombiemania," which airs on October 13 at 10pm. Brooks, who was kind enough to take some time out yesterday for a chat, believe there's a very specific reason for the current zombie trend. Read More...

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J. Michael Straczynski On 'World War Z': 'The Scale Of What We're Doing Here Is Phenomenal'

Posted 12/3/08 12:43 pm EST by in News


'World War Z'When "Quantum of Solace" director Marc Forster was chosen to helm the adaptation of Max Brooks' "World War Z" zombie-stravaganza, we noted that it was a surprising pairing -- but with noted television, movie and comics author J. Michael Straczynski already penning the screenplay and Brad Pitt's Plan B producing, the project was certainly developing some heat. Now, with "Solace" in its fifth impressive week at the box office, MTV News spoke to Straczynski about the addition of Forster to the already buzzworthy project and how he plans to adapt Brooks' novel.

"We talk about it as a thriller, the closest comparison being 'The Bourne Identity,'" explained Straczynski, who's also penning a "Forbidden Planet" revisiting. "Most zombie movies to this point have been small, focusing on a few people in a house. And this has got real scare. You’re in India with hundreds of boats trying to get out of there with a tidal wave of zombies. The scale of what we’re doing here is phenomenal." Read More...

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