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- Did Chinese Censorship Contribute to the Cancelation of World War Z?
- The Planned and Canceled World War Z Sequel
As a seasoned film enthusiast who has spent countless hours poring over movie trivia and box office returns, I can’t help but feel a twinge of melancholy when reminiscing about the unrealized potential of “World War Z 2.” The original film, despite not being universally hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, was a blockbuster success that had the world on the edge of their seats – or in this case, behind their screens.
Despite not garnering the highest praise from critics, with a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the blockbuster film World War Z, spearheaded by Brad Pitt, attracted massive audiences for its thrilling zombie tale. Known as one of the most expensive horror films ever produced, boasting an approximate production budget of around $190 million, the movie comfortably surpassed its costs, grossing a total of $540 million globally.
Usually, such success makes production firms eager for sequels, spin-offs, merchandise, and promotions collaborations (at least fans were given a good video game called “World War Z” in 2021). The intention was to explore further and expand the film into a successful horror franchise, but this plan didn’t last long. Now, “World War Z” is largely forgotten in the annals of horror history. However, let’s delve into what actually transpired.
Did Chinese Censorship Contribute to the Cancelation of World War Z?
The foreign box office is often a side thought when Americans consider a film’s success, or rather, a film can be spun as successful while not doing fantastic in its home country. Transformers is a prime example of a franchise often outearned at the box office in China over the American box office; Transformers: Age of Extinction grossed $134.5 million in its first five days compared to $121 million in the U.S. While this is not always made expressively clear to the fandom, what is essential to be aware of is that certain films are marketed and shaped with the express intent to appeal to a Chinese audience in equal measure to the American audience.
It’s been known that China has stringent censorship rules, and zombie movies often fail to pass these checks. This was evident when Paramount attempted to introduce World War Z into the Chinese market, modifying scenes and dialogue to cater to the censors, even suggesting that the virus originated in China. However, the movie was never allowed, with potential reasons being Brad Pitt’s previous role in Seven Years in Tibet, which focused on Tibet’s fight for independence, or perhaps due to the inclusion of zombies, a genre that doesn’t align well with China’s rigid guidelines regarding portrayals of magic, horror, or superstition.
Incorporating the Chinese theaters could have significantly boosted the success of World War Z and any potential sequels, given its existing popularity in Western box offices. However, the inability of the popular zombie film to penetrate the Chinese market was one of several challenges faced by the sequel’s production.
The Planned and Canceled World War Z Sequel
The production costs for the movie titled World War Z escalated due to complications during its development, such as revisions and reshoots of the final act, which exceeded Paramount’s budget. Despite this, the film’s success paved the way for a sequel, but it faced several early obstacles: scheduling conflicts, the need for rewrites, changes in strategy at Paramount, worries about competition, and the well-known difficulty of achieving financial success on an expensive production without the advantage of the Chinese market.
Instead of taking the risk, it appeared that various factors were pushing Paramount away from producing World War Z 2, and ultimately, the movie was never filmed. Had the Chinese market welcomed a sequel to World War Z, it’s possible Paramount would have pursued the project. However, with the current state of things, it seems doubtful that fans will ever see World War Z 2, even if China modifies its censorship policies regarding zombie films. This is unfortunate given David Fincher’s hints about what could have been for the sequel. Currently, you can stream World War Z on both Netflix and Paramount+.
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2024-10-14 03:31