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Steven Knight to write World War Z sequel


Steven Knight has been hired to write the ‘World War Z’ sequel.

The British screenwriter, whose credits include last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Locke’ starring Tom Hardy, will pen the zombie thriller follow-up starring Brad Pitt, reports Variety.com.

Knight will work closely with director Juan Antonio Bayona – who was hired to helm the flick in December – on the script.

The writer is also the creator of critically acclaimed British gangster TV drama ‘Peaky Blinders’, and has written films including ‘Eastern Promises’, ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Dirty Pretty Things’.

‘World War Z’ proved a huge success, despite costly production setbacks, and has become the highest-grossing movie of Pitt’s career by taking $540 million worldwide.

The 50-year-old star also produced the project through his Plan B production company, along with Skydance Productions and Paramount.

The plot for the sequel is being kept tightly under wraps.

The first film depicted a worldwide zombie outbreak as Pitt’s Gerry Lane, a UN employee, tries to discover the root of the epidemic and thwart the plague.

The franchise is based on Max Brooks’ page-turning apocalyptic horror novel of the same name.