How World War Z Originally Ended (& Why It Was Changed) (2024)

The World War Z ending went through some major changes before the film was released with a dramatically different conclusion originally planned for the zombie blockbuster. Starring Brad Pitt and released in 2013 amid the zombie craze in Hollywood, World War Z seemed destined for success until reports of major reshoots surfaced. Nevertheless, when audiences and critics alike saw World War Z, most were somewhat surprised to see that the end result was a decent big-budget zombie movie that proved to be a solid box office hit.

Indeed, despite director Marc Forster and the crew scrapping the original World War Z ending, the movie remains an exciting and entertaining entry both in Brad Pitt's filmography and in the zombie horror sub-genre. However, the movie was also vastly different from the book it was based on from author Max Brooks and it seems as though the movie had a difficult time adapting the source material to the big screen. The result was a handful of ideas of how to end the movie that would have been much different from what audiences saw.

How World War Z's Original Ending Was Different

Gerry Lane Original Fought Zombies In Russia

The World War Z ending places Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) in a World Health Organization building with a few fellow survivors, but the information he seeks is at the center of the building, which has been overrun by the infected. In the reshot World War Z ending that made it to film, Lane infects himself with a pathogen that can hide him from those who are infected, and he is able to walk past the rampaging zombies unharmed.

A montage that closes the film shows humanity fighting back against the horde, ringing a hopeful ending for the survivors, and potentially setting up World War Z 2. World War Z's original ending, however, began with Lane and Segen (Daniella Kertesz) flying to Moscow, where they are immediately drafted into the army being built to fight the zombies. Instead of going to the WHO building, the original ending features a time jump showing a bearded Lane still fighting in Russia during the winter. It's during this time he realizes the zombies move slower in the cold, giving the humans an advantage in these conditions.

He's been out of communication with his family this entire time, but he is finally able to speak to his wife, who has secretly had to strike up a relationship with Matthew Fox's paratrooper (a character that is only briefly seen in the theatrical cut) to keep her and the kids safe. Later on, Lane, Segen, and a character named Simon begin traveling through Russia to go to the United States and save Lane's family. World War Z's final scene had them arriving in America and storming the country to find his family.

World War Z's Original Ending Was Too Bleak

The Poor Response Led To A Massive Overhaul Of The Movie

This bleaker ending for World War Z came as a result of the script not being entirely finished when production began on the film. After filming was completed and Marc Forster assembled the first cut of the film though, Paramount executives and Pitt did not like the ending. Those who have seen the early cut of World War Z described the ending (viaVanity Fair) as "abrupt and incoherent," which lines up with the description of the footage that has since been revealed.

In order to fix the ending, Paramount hired Damon Lindelof to rewrite World War Z's script, ordered seven weeks of reshoots, and spent tens of millions of dollars shooting over 40 minutes of the 2-hour blockbuster. Even though all of these changes saw World War Z's budget balloon to over $200 million, it still managed to do fairly well at the box office - earning $540M worldwide.

The end result gave Paramount a film that was successful enough to generate sequel conversations, with David Fincher signing on for World War Z 2 before exiting the project. Whether World War Z becomes a franchise remains to be seen, but it is clear that the original ending was dramatically different from what the audience saw.

The World War Z Ending Is Why A Sequel Should Happen

David Fincher's Planned Approach For World War Z 2 Would Have Addressed Many Issues

The World War Z ending and script changes resulted in a myriad of production problems, and the source material deserves a better adaptation, which can still happen in a sequel. In fact, while Paramount's sequel plans have since been scrapped, David Fincher's rumored World War Z 2 plot eventually reveals that the vaccine Gerry Lane used in the ending only works for 36 hours and that global political tensions continue to worsen as the zombie horde grows and takes over more territories.

By diving deeper into virology and world politics, World War Z 2 could rectify the issues with the first movie, give the story a more thought-out and tone-appropriate climax, and finally do justice to the 2006 apocalyptic horror novel of the same name that pushed the zombie genre beyond its limits.

The World War Z Book Ending Is Also Different

The Books Offers A More Gradual And Uncertain Victory

World War Z is really a much different story from the source material it is based on. While the movie follows Pitt's Gerry Lane on a globe-trotting adventure to save the world from the zombie outbreak, Max Brooks' novel is a much more expansive story with no one protagonist. Instead, it takes a look at the origins, the war, and the aftermath of the zombie outbreak through a variety of characters across the world. It shows the different ways the world reacts and deals with the issue while also considering the global ramifications.

Likewise, the ending differs greatly from the movie as well. With no heroic lead like Gerry Lane in the book, there is no need for a rescue mission or a father reuniting with his family. There is also no miracle cure as there is in the movie. Instead, the book takes a look at the gradual victory humanity has over the zombies which is a mix of brutality, cruelty, and bravery. Some countries elect to use some of the citizens as bait to give the more populated areas time to prepare for battle.

Over time, countries attempt to simply wait out the zombies, aware that they decompose and become barely a threat over time. However, the United States decides to go for a more aggressive route, aiming to retrain its military for zombie warfare and wipe out the entire population of the undead. Eventually, more countries follow the same method. Over several years, the book tracks small victories leading to the majority of the world being liberated.

The book then looks at the global impact of the war against the zombies. The world dynamic has changed dramatically and reshuffled. The human species is also weakened with life expectancy dropping considerably. With a lack of natural resources, there is also a regression in society's developments, relying on older technology and tools. However, the World War Z book ends on a hopeful note that humanity was able to overcome extinction and will return to its former glory eventually.

World War Z

PG-13

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Based on the novel by Max Brooks, World War Z tells the story of a world ravaged by a zombie virus. Former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) braves the apocalypse in search of a cure. He is tasked with finding the point of origin of the virus in order to synthesize a vaccine, reluctantly doing so in exchange for his family's safety. His search takes him around the world, where he witnesses all the devastation of the apocalypse.

Director

Marc Foster

Release Date

June 21, 2013

Cast

Brad Pitt , Daniella Kertesz , Mireille Enos , James Badge Dale

Runtime

1h 56m