Paramount Pulls Brad Pitt’s ‘World War Z 2,’ ‘Friday the 13th’ Reboot From Schedule

Jennifer Lawrence and Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” gets October release date

Paramount Pictures andhas pulled two high profile projects from its release schedule, while dating the anticipated collaboration between Jennifer Lawrence and Darren Aronofsky.

Brad Pitt’s zombie sequel “World War Z 2” is now undated, formerly pegged for June 9, 2017, a project co-financed with David Ellison’s Skydance Media. A younger reboot of the “Friday The 13th” franchise is now undated, previously scheduled for Oct. 13, 2017.

“mother!” — which pairs “Passengers” star Lawrence and “Black Swan” director Aronofsky — will now open on the Oct. 13th date that was held for the horror reboot. The relationship drama also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Javier Bardem, Domnhall Gleeson and Ed Harris.

In January 2016, “World War Z 2” lost director Juan Antonio Bayona, who was said to be held up finishing post-production on “A Monster Calls.”

The search has been on for a replacement ever since, with Pitt himself imploring some of Hollywood’s biggest directors to step in and help the franchise, numerous individuals have told TheWrap throughout the process.

The first “World War Z” movie also had its share of behind-the-scenes strife, as script doctors Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard boarded the project late in the game to fix its third act. The film went on to gross nearly $540 million worldwide, opening the door for a sequel.

As for “Friday the 13th,” initial news about the project angled for a younger take on undead serial killer Jason Voorhees. No casting emerged, and in August a lawsuit hit from the writer of the 1980 classic. It’s unclear how that litigation might have affected Paramount’s development on the project.

It’s not all uncertainty from the studio: It’s safe to say that “mother!” finds itself slotted for awards season thanks to its mid-October rollout.

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