Max Brooks’ novel ‘World War Z‘ has been adapted into a critically acclaimed and financially successful Hollywood Fantasy horror movie of the same name starring Brad Pitt. His books have become a how-to manual for the armed forces to handle large-scale crisis situations.
As a prolific author and screenwriter, Max Brooks has earned a name for himself in Hollywood and the world of horror and the zombie genre. His zombie horror movie, ‘World War Z,‘ has sold 1 million copies worldwide.
Film Adaptations
After the publication of ‘World War Z ‘in 2006, Max Brooks rose to stardom as his novel soon became one of the best zombie horror novels ever written. His previous book, ‘The Zombie Survival Guide,’ also rose in sales, with 1.2 million copies sold worldwide. ‘World War Z‘ was soon adapted to the screen by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Brooks also wrote the story for the blockbuster movie ‘The Great Wall‘ starring Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon.
World War Z (2013)
The movie adaptation of Brooks’ novel ‘World War Z ‘is arguably one of his most significant contributions to the zombie genre. The world is thrown into chaos as a deadly virus spreads, turning people into aggressive, flesh-eating zombies. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who is tasked with finding the source of the virus and stopping the outbreak before it’s too late. With time running out and the stakes higher than ever, Lane travels the globe, encountering both horrors and hope as he races to save humanity from total destruction. The movie is a thrilling and intense ride, filled with heart-pounding action and suspenseful moments that keep audiences on the edge of their seats until the very end.
‘World War Z ‘was directed by Marc Forster and produced by Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B Entertainment. Despite initial production problems and script rewrites, the movie was a box office success, grossing over $540 million worldwide. The movie’s action scenes and special effects were highly praised, and it was considered one of the best zombie movies ever made.
The Great Wall (2016)
‘The Great Wall‘ is a Chinese-American co-production directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Matt Damon. Written by Max Brooks, the movie tells the story of a group of soldiers defending the Great Wall of China against a horde of supernatural monsters.
‘The Great Wall‘ is a 2016 fantasy action-adventure film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal. The movie tells the story of a group of European mercenaries on a mission to find the secret of gunpowder. They were attacked by a group of monsters, but two of their members, Irishman William Garin and the Spaniard Pero Tovar, survived. They were soon taken prisoner by a secret order named Nameless Order which was tasked with protecting China from the monsters that decimated Garin’s mercenary band. They were imprisoned on the fortified wall-garrison that protects the kingdom from the monsters, but the wall soon came under attack by the monsters who inflict heavy losses on the Nameless Order. Having been freed during the battle by another European prisoner, William and Tovar perform battle feats that impressed their captors and gained their respect and admiration.
As Garin and Tovar join forces with the Nameless Order defending the wall, they discover that the monsters are not mindless beasts, but rather highly intelligent creatures with a plan of their own. The battle for the survival of humanity rages on, with Garin and the Chinese soldiers facing impossible odds and unimaginable dangers.
‘The Great Wall‘ was a visually stunning film, with breathtaking landscapes and intricate costumes. The movie’s action scenes were well-choreographed, and the special effects were impressive. However, the movie received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its visuals and action sequences, while others criticized its cultural insensitivity and lack of depth in the characters. Despite this, ‘The Great Wall‘ was a box office success, grossing over $331 million worldwide.”
Future Adaptations
Devolution
‘Devolution‘ is based on Brooks’ 2020 novel of the same name. The book tells the story of a group of people who are forced to survive in a remote community after a volcano eruption leads to the appearance of a dangerous species of creatures. The movie adaptation is currently in development with Legendary Pictures and is set to be directed by the acclaimed filmmaker, Paul W.S. Anderson.
Awards
As a prolific author and a screenwriter, Max Brooks won Primetime Emmy Award for the Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program in 2003 for his work in the hit television show, Saturday Nights Live. In 2007 the ‘World War Z‘ audiobook won the Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance and was nominated for Audiobook of the Year. Brooks was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program in 2003 and the Writers Guild Association Awards for Comedy/Variety (Including Talk).
FAQs
How is ‘World War Z‘ different from other books in the zombie genre?
‘World War Z‘ is different from other books in the zombie genre because it approached the story like an account of a true historical event that is recounted by its survivors. It allows the reader to see the human side of disasters, the mistakes that lead to them, and the measures taken to correct them.
How is World War Z different from I Am Legend?
The books ‘World War Z‘ and ‘I Am Legend‘ both tell the story of contagions from unknown sources which ravage the world with violence and upend social and cultural systems, changing humans into some horrible and dangerous “other.” While in ‘I Am Legend,’ the zombie vampires appear to have won the war against humanity with the death of the last human, Robert Neville, humans were able to reorganize themselves and push back against the zombie hordes. They won back enough territory to rebuild human society.
Is World War Z a best-selling book?
‘World War Z‘ spent four weeks on the New York Time Best Seller list, peaking at number 9. It has also sold more than a million copies worldwide.
What contagion caused the plague in ‘World War Z’?
Though it was not stated in the ‘World War Z’ book, the plague was caused by the Solana virus. According to the ‘World War Z’ prequel book ‘The Zombie Survival Guide,’ both the virus and the zombie contagion have existed in the world for thousands of years.
