Brad Pitt’s Zombie Thriller Surges Up the Streaming Charts

Over a decade after it dominated the box office, Brad Pitt’s World War Z is proving that the undead don’t stay buried for long. The 2013 action-horror blockbuster has suddenly climbed back into the global streaming spotlight, surging up the Paramount+ charts and reigniting interest in what was once the highest-grossing zombie movie ever made.

As of this week, the movie has broken back into the global top 10, sitting at ninth place worldwide heading into the weekend. It’s currently ahead of the animated special South Park: The End of Obesity and within striking distance of horror parody Scary Movie 2. Even more impressive, the film is now ranking in the top 10 in 18 different countries, a testament to its enduring popularity and ability to thrill audiences even twelve years after its original release.

A Record-Breaking Zombie Epic Still Finding New Life

Released in June 2013, World War Z wasn’t just another zombie movie — it was a big-budget, globe-trotting disaster thriller that pushed the genre into blockbuster territory. The film grossed over $540 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing zombie film of all time and one of the few in its genre to break half a billion at the box office.

Now, more than a decade later, the same qualities that made the film a box office hit are attracting a new wave of viewers online: a high-stakes global pandemic story, relentless action, massive swarms of the undead, and a grounded performance from Brad Pitt at its center.

A Pandemic Thriller Before Pandemic Thrillers Became Real

Based on the 2006 novel by Max Brooks, World War Z introduced audiences to Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator drawn back into duty when a mysterious infection begins to turn humans into vicious, fast-moving zombies.

The story begins in Philadelphia, where Gerry, his wife, and their two daughters get caught in what initially seems like a routine traffic jam. In a matter of minutes, it becomes clear that something much worse is happening — a viral outbreak with devastating speed and no known cure. Gerry is soon tasked with traveling the globe in search of the virus’s origin, desperately hoping to find a way to stop it before civilization collapses entirely.

Unlike many zombie films that focus on small-scale survival stories, World War Z went global, showing entire cities overrun by impossible-to-contain hordes. The iconic scenes of undead armies climbing over one another to breach walls in Jerusalem or swarming airplanes mid-flight gave audiences a sense of both awe and dread.

Behind the Scenes: A Massive Production with Big Names

Helming this ambitious production was Marc Forster, known for directing films as varied as Monster’s Ball and A Man Called Otto, as well as the James Bond outing Quantum of Solace. The screenplay went through several iterations, with final credits going to Matthew Michael Carnahan (Dark Waters), Drew Goddard (The Martian), and Damon Lindelof (Lost).

The ensemble cast featured not only Pitt but also Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Peter Capaldi, Matthew Fox, and Ruth Negga, among others. While critics were divided over how much the film deviated from the source material — and some production troubles were widely reported — the final product scored a 67% approval rating from critics and a 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, enough to propel it to box office success and now, streaming revival.

The Long Road to a Sequel

For years, talk of a World War Z sequel has floated in Hollywood circles, often sounding close to reality before falling apart. Paramount originally envisioned the movie as the first of a trilogy, but creative changes, budget disputes, and shifting studio priorities left the follow-up stuck in development hell.

Names like J.A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and even David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) were attached at various points, fueling fan excitement, but the sequel never officially moved forward.

That could soon change. Following the Paramount-Skydance merger, co-film chief Josh Greenstein indicated in a recent press conference that continuing World War Z is now considered a priority. Alongside other major franchises like Top Gun 3, Transformers, and a new Star Trek film, Pitt’s zombie thriller is finally back on the studio’s radar with the clearest glimmer of hope in years.

Whether this results in a direct sequel, a reboot, or even a streaming-exclusive continuation remains to be seen, but the current resurgence in streaming popularity certainly strengthens the case for revisiting the franchise.

Why World War Z Still Works Today

Part of the film’s renewed appeal may come from how closely its themes mirror modern anxieties. A fast-moving global pandemic, international coordination efforts, overwhelmed governments, and scientific races against time resonate differently today than they did in 2013.

Moreover, World War Z stands apart from typical zombie films because it merges genres — equal parts disaster thriller, action epic, and infection horror. It’s less about gore and more about scale, tension, and humanity’s desperate ingenuity in the face of extinction.

Even in an entertainment landscape now saturated with zombie stories, from The Walking Dead to The Last of Us, Pitt’s blockbuster retains its unique identity as a high-concept, big-budget spectacle.

Streaming Success Could Fuel New Momentum

Studios pay close attention to what works on streaming platforms, and the fact that World War Z is climbing global charts more than a decade after its release is a strong indicator of lasting demand. Paramount, now working alongside Skydance, may see this as market validation — proof that a substantial audience is ready to return to this world.

A well-timed sequel could capitalize on that renewed interest, especially if it reintroduces Brad Pitt’s character, expands on the original’s global scope, and incorporates lessons learned from both its production struggles and the broader evolution of zombie storytelling in the past decade.

Conclusion: The Undead Don’t Die — And Neither Does a Good Story

World War Z is experiencing what many aging blockbusters dream of: a cultural second wind. Its surge up the Paramount+ streaming charts highlights how a film can outlive its initial run, finding new relevance with new audiences while rekindling nostalgia for old fans.

With Paramount-Skydance publicly naming a sequel as a priority, Brad Pitt’s globe-spanning zombie epic may finally get the continuation it was always meant to have. And if this revival proves anything, it’s that in Hollywood — just like in the world of the undead — nothing stays dead forever.