World War Z Blu-Ray Will Feature An Unrated Version Of The Movie
This article is more than 2 years old
A few months ago, World War Z surprised the film industry with a very strong box office performance. The Brad Pitt-produced zombie movie grossed well over $488 million worldwide, with a special limited one-week IMAX engagement currently in full swing. World War Z is a hit, with a sequel and a possible trilogy in the works. Needless to say, when World War Z is released on home video, it is expected to be a bestseller, which will add nicely to the zombie movie’s growing profitability for Paramount Pictures. Now there’s another reason for WWZ fans to pick up the movie on Blu-ray next month: an unrated version of the film.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the World War Z Blu-ray will feature an unrated version of the film along with a number of other bonus features, including behind-the-scenes footage, documentaries, and the “real” science behind the movie’s zombie apocalypse. “I’m really excited for fans to see the new unrated version of World War Z on Blu-ray,” said Brad Pitt in a statement. “We were thrilled with the audience response to the film in theaters and wanted to give viewers even more of the action and intensity that they loved when they watch the film at home.” Check out the bonus features lineup below:
- Feature film in high definition (Unrated version)
- “Origins” — The filmmakers discuss collaborating with renowned actor/producer Brad Pitt to create a zombie film the likes of which have never been seen.
- “Looking to Science” — Explore the scientific realities of zombie behavior in nature and learn more about zombies in literature and film.
- WWZ: Production
- “Outbreak” — Go on set with Brad Pitt and director Marc Forster for a behind-the-scenes look at the film’s breathtaking first attack in Philadelphia.
- “The Journey Begins” — Delve deeper into Gerry’s fight for survival during the dramatic escape in South Korea.
- “Behind the Wall” — Explore the epic scene in Jerusalem and discover the incredible logistics of creating the elaborate stunts and crowd sequences.
- “Camouflage” — Experience the final confrontation between Gerry and the zombies and discover the phenomenal scope of the film’s production.
It’s unclear if Paramount will ever release the scenes shot for World War Z’s original ending, but it’s good to see that Paramount is going unrated with the zombie movie. The version shown in theaters seemed really tame by zombie horror movie standards.
World War Z was originally going to have a bleaker ending, with Brad Pitt’s character of Gerry Lane conscripted into the Russian military, while his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) was forced to exchange sex for protection at a zombie refugee camp in the United States. The film was originally envisioned as a trilogy, with the two remaining films following Gerry’s attempts to get back home to his wife and children.
While it’s unclear how much of World War Z’s original ending was finished, screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard were brought in to rewrite the film’s third act after Brad Pitt and director Marc Forster decided to take the film in a new direction. As it stands, the ending of World War Z is much more upbeat than first conceived.
World War Z will be released on Blu-ray/DVD on September 17, while the digital download of the zombie movie will be available one week earlier on September 10.
