Article about JMS' WWZ script at AICN

[Joe Nazzaro]

One of the biggest differences between book and script (Highlight to read spoilers for the WWZ script)

is that Max Brooks' book is much more episodic, so there doesn't feel like there is any main character; in fact, the book jacket suggests that Brooks himself conducted all the interviews within. What JMS has done, and very successfully is channel everything through Gerry Lane, who has been commissioned to write a report outlining the mistakes leading up to the war. The book's major set pieces- the boat invasion, the battle for Yonkers- are still intact, but the stories are told to Lane as the interviewer, who as we discover has gone through a few zombie-related hardships of his own. I think JMS has done a superb job of taking all the elements that made the book so successful but also added a few layers of his own, such as pointing out the same international red tape that facilitated the Z outbreak in the first place still existed afterwards, with each government basically trying to cover their ass in terms of any mistakes they may have made.

[Chris Nolan.ca]

Having read the book a while back, I haven't a clue how it'll get turned into a script. Look forward to whatever JMS can make happen with it --- will he keep the vignettes or go with a complete arc?

[Jan]

That's great to hear, Clark Kent. Thanks for posting.

Jan

[Clark Kent]

I know Max Brooks' wife, she is in the same graduate program I just finished, and she told me that her husband was ecstatic when JMS was announced as the screenwriter for the adaptation of WWZ. She says he's a big fan of his work, including B5.

Here's another article on the script (spoiler warning):

http://salscripts.tumblr.com/post/40012634/world-war-z-by-j-michael-straczynski

Although, I don't care it people invloved take their time, it deserves a quality cast and crew.

I agree. I so hope they won't butcher that script with rewrites to make it more "comfortable".

Any suggestions who might/should be directing it?

[geekinthecity]

While 2010 would be a great release date as a nod to the book... I don't want to wait that long!!!

Although, I don't care it people invloved take their time, it deserves a quality cast and crew.

[Jan]

Maybe it's a deliberate thing. In the book, the zombie war starts in 2010.

Ooh, that would be smart, wouldn't it?! Thanks for that, Mandragora!

Jan

Maybe it's a deliberate thing. In the book, the zombie war starts in 2010.

[colonyearth]

No idea but a few things come to mind that might have an effect on it.

-- No director yet

-- I'm sure it'll be extremely effect heavy

-- If it's already being bandied about as being Oscar-worthy, they'll probably want to position the release as carefully as they did "Changeling"

Jan

Not to mention the writer's strike and now the possibility of an actor's strike are playing havoc with the studio's schedules. It why many studios (except mainly Disney) are scaling back their slates right now.

CE

[Jan]

No idea but a few things come to mind that might have an effect on it.

-- No director yet

-- I'm sure it'll be extremely effect heavy

-- If it's already being bandied about as being Oscar-worthy, they'll probably want to position the release as carefully as they did "Changeling"

Jan

And more script reviews coming in:

http://www.geekinthecity.com/rants/world_war_z_spo.php

Possible spoilers again.

Does anyone know why according to imdb the release date has been pushed back to 2010?

[Jonas]

My girlfriend got me World War Z a few weeks ago, and I absolutely loved it. It's deeply, deeply political (in a highly critical way), touching, sad, engrossing and occasionally also (a little) scary. Very much in the tradition of Romero's zombie movies. It was one of the best books I've read in recent years.

I am looking forward to JMS' version a lot. I hope they get a good director.

There's another review that's been posted for a while - but for the sake of completeness:

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3947&Itemid=99

Spoiler warnings as well.

[Jan]

Either place is good to discuss but I've added spoiler warnings if people follow the links because Moriarty posts spoilers about both the book and script.

Jan