A.V. Opinions: World War Z deserves a respectful streaming adaptation

Max Brooks’s World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006) unfolds as a series of first‑person accounts from survivors of the Solanum virus pandemic. Beginning with Patient Zero, and spanning every continent, it examines the political failures, military gambits, and human resilience that punctuate the global crisis. Brooks, already acclaimed for The Zombie Survival Guide, leverages his skill for grounded detail and panoramic scope, crafting an epic that transcends mere undead thrills.

The 2013 film World War Z, directed by Marc Forster and headlined by Brad Pitt, grossed over $540 million worldwide but bore only a handful of scenes lifted from Brooks’s novel. Critics and fans alike lamented both its departure from the source material and its reliance on Hollywood tropes.

Paramount’s first tie‑in, a 2013 mobile game by Phosphor, delivered generic on‑rails shooting rather than the novel’s varied human perspectives. A later 2019 co‑op shooter by Saber Interactive likewise capitalized on massed hordes, but never explored the socio‑political depth that made Brooks’s work resonate.

Now, forget everything you just read. I propose building the ultimate zombie saga. Imagine a streaming epic in eight seasons, mirroring the sprawling scale of Game of Thrones, each season comprising 8–10 episodes to explore different perspectives.

Season 1: Patient Zero and the fall of the Chinese containment.

Season 2: The collapse of Europe and military gambits in Russia.

Season 3: Island refuges, the naval stalemate, and refugee crises.

Season 4: The turning point: vaccine research and South Korean hostage crisis.

Season 5: Middle Eastern strongholds: Jerusalem’s Wall and Israeli survival.

Season 6: African last stands and the UN’s gambit.

Season 7: Counteroffensives and the push toward the ocean.

Season 8: Rebuilding civilization and confronting new threats.

Entrust this saga to someone like Craig Mazin, whose HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019) demonstrated mastery over real‑world catastrophe and human drama. His ability to interweave political nuance, and intimate storytelling makes him the ideal steward for a faithful, respectful World War Z adaptation. There’s other people that could do it, but he’s my first choice. Think Chernobyl meets The Last of Us, prestige storytelling, grounded in realism, rooted in horror. Even the showrunners behind The Last of Us would be the perfect fit to bring World War Z to life, storytellers who understand the weight of global catastrophe, personal trauma, and the human condition in the face of horror. With the right visionaries at the helm, this isn’t just another zombie series, it’s an international epic, a political thriller, and the definitive chronicle of humanity on the brink.

We need a serious, globe-spanning streaming series that honors the book’s vision. It’s time to leave the failed reboot behind! No more sequels, no more lazy tie-ins. Let that franchise die. We need a fresh start. A total reboot. One that respects the oral history format, explores each nation’s unique fight for survival, and delivers the emotional, and cultural weight this story was meant to carry. Max Brooks wrote a global epic not a generic action flick. World War Z deserves reverence. Let’s stop disrespecting the most intelligent zombie story ever written. Let’s raise it from the grave… the right way. It’s time for a fully realized, respectful streaming series that treats Brooks’s masterpiece with the depth and gravitas it deserves.

-Brad McBoom