June 21: World War Z (2013)

Milestone Years

• 10th Anniversary: June 21, 2023
• 15th Anniversary: June 21, 2028
• 20th Anniversary: June 21, 2033
• 25th Anniversary: June 21, 2038
• 30th Anniversary: June 21, 2043

Inspiration Behind the Movie

The film is based on Max Brooks’s 2006 novel but took a more cinematic action‑thriller direction. Brad Pitt and Plan B secured rights in 2007, inspired by global pandemic fears and geopolitical tensions. Writers shifted focus from anthology to a cohesive hero‑journey, exploring humanity’s fight through a global zombie outbreak.

You Might Not Know

• The fast‑swarming zombies were designed using ant‑colony inspired emergent behavior techniques, not intelligence.
• After initial rough cuts, extensive reshoots and a new third act were added—Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard later revamped the ending.
• Its budget ballooned from ~$125M to as high as $269M, making it one of the most expensive zombie films.
• The climactic Russian battle originally filmed was scrapped and reshot with a more character-driven conclusion.
• A sequel was in development, with David Fincher attached, but was canceled in 2019 due to budget and market concerns.

Food Ideas

• “Infection Dip” – red beet hummus with zombie‑foot shaped chips
• Worldwide “Flight Map” charcuterie – meats/cheeses arranged like Lane’s travel routes
• “Brain‑freeze” cocktails – slushy drinks served in brain molds
• Korean‑style street tacos – nod to the Seoul sequence
• Russian black bread croutons – a tribute to the reshot climax locale

Ways to Celebrate

• Create a global escape room with clues in different “countries” as Lane does
• Host a zombie‑swarm virtual quiz — fact vs. fiction about zombie lore
• Organize a marathon of pandemic‑themed thrillers leading up to WWZ
• Screen the alternate/unrated scenes as bonus content
• Discuss the science behind the zombies—invite a microbiologist or watch a TED talk on pandemics

Filming Locations

• Malta – early scenes including sea escape and urban traffic chaos
• Glasgow, Scotland – doubled as Philadelphia city streets
• Budapest, Hungary – reshoots of the Russian lab and ending scenes