The movie Brad Pitt thought he had ruined
It’s a common trend in Hollywood that once actors reach a certain status and hold such a commanding influence at the box office, they frequently transition into producers and stars. These hugely popular actors can go into studios and pitch huge-budget films and get them off the ground, with themselves also attached as the leads. One mega-star who made the foray into the producer role in recent times is Brad Pitt. But his experience of starring and producing in one particular film was a tough challenge for the actor, and Pitt has been vocal about the pitfalls of working behind the camera.
Coming off the back of Pitt’s critically acclaimed performances in films such as Seven, Fight Club, and The Assassination of Jesse James, he had established himself as a household name. In 2001, Pitt co-founded Plan B Entertainment, a company that would allow the actor to develop films and tell stories he was inherently connected to. One of the films to be produced through the company was 2013’s apocalyptic zombie thriller World War Z.
In World War Z, a deadly virus has broken out that turns people into incredibly fast runners and zombies that can spread the virus through a single bite. The film opens with Garry Lane (Pitt) stuck with his family in a traffic jam in New York just as the chaotic outbreak spreads through the city. After narrowly escaping the disaster, Lane goes on to head a team that travels across the world to find the source of the outbreak and hopefully a cure.
Pitt had intended for the film to become a franchised hit with a number of sequels to follow. He hired Marc Forster to direct the picture, as he thought Forster would be able to nurture the character aspect of the story. However, quickly into shooting, rumours of a “troubled production” began to circulate.
In an interview with Esquire, Pitt revealed the challenges he faced during the production. Firstly, he had recruited a number of well-versed people in the action genre to help pull off the film’s large-scale and complex set pieces; however, this didn’t necessarily align with Forster’s vision for the film. Pitt also alluded to the high-stakes aspect of making such a big-budget movie and the press that creates, as well as him being so heavily involved in the picture, adding to the drama around its production.
“Because of me — there’s a big bull’s-eye on my back,” the actor said. “World War Z is a big, big bet with a lot of money on the table. You gotta be able to make it pop. You have to keep paying off, keep paying off, and in order to do that you have to be able to set the trap and snap it at the right moment. There are guys who are just great at that, and I didn’t understand how technically sharp you have to be to pull off some of that stuff”.
World War Z turned out to be a box office success and became the most successful zombie movie of all time. However, you can glean from Pitt’s remarks that the experience has jaded him somewhat, and I can imagine the star isn’t going to jump back into such an expensive and expansive project again without some serious consideration. Stars taking the helm of their own movies have produced some brilliant films over the years, offering actors a chance to display new aspects of their acting abilities. Margo Robbie’s I, Tonya is a great example, or Jennifer Lopez with Hustlers. If there is one thing we can take away from Pitt’s experience of making World War Z, it’s that making a blockbuster smash hit is certainly no walk in the park.
