Brad Pitt and Max Brooks - Separated at birth?

Back in 2007, Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company outbid Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way for the rights to Victoria’s Secret orgies, er, I mean the film rights to World War Z, Max Brooks’ tale of the zombie apocalypse. WWZ seemed like a dream that would never come true for us nerds who love the book and ridiculously anticipate a film adaptation, but it’s on like Sardar Kahn, as production is currently under way. Directed by Marc Forster (nice bandeezy, bro), WWZ stars Pitt as a United Nations researcher traveling the world documenting stories of the battles against the zombie hoards. What kind of stories? Cool stories, bro.

The rest of the cast is still a question mark, as Ed Harris and Matthew Fox have been rumored but are now detached, and it doesn’t really matter because we have the first pictures from the set of World War Z and that’s all we need to get super excited and squeal like schoolgirls. Of course, if this movie sucks we’ll all cry for weeks, but we’ll climb that wall of zombie bodies when we come to it.

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Director Christopher Nolan has officially put an end to our nerdy loin punishments by announcing that Tom Hardy will play the villain Bane in the third and presumably final Nolan-directed Batman installment, The Dark Knight Rises. And that is all the news there is involving this film today… tee hee… oh who am I kidding? ANNE HATHAWAY IS CATWOMAN!!!

*tears up restraining order, rips off ankle tracking bracelet, jumps out window*

Take it away, Empire Online…

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story,” said director Christopher Nolan in a press release.

“I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan didn’t divulge any plot details, but if he’s as brilliant as me it will involve Bane and Christian Bale’s Batman doing a lot of high-fiving as Hathaway pillow fights with Harley Quinn, played by just about any living female with a pulse. And I’m sure the nerd brigade is gonna come crash down the gates around my heart and tell me that Anne is a terrible choice, but blah blah blah, I love you Chris Nolan.

While the ladies of Comic Con may be swooning over Vince and his homemade Snorks costume, the first big movie news to develop is that Brad Pitt has officially signed on to star in the movie adaptation of World War Z. Author Max Brooks was signing copies of his books for fans when he received news from Paramount that Pitt was locked on starring in the film that his Plan B Entertainment purchased the rights to in 2007. Brooks also learned that Paramount has optioned two additional films, based on his book “The Zombie Survival Guide” and his graphic novel “The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks.”

Feed us the BRAAAAAAAAAAINS of this huge deal, MTV’s Rick Marshall:

“I can’t believe how cool Paramount has been to me and these projects, and how cool Plan B has been,” said Brooks when asked for his reaction to the news.

According to Brooks, the studio is currently targeting a Summer 2012 release for the film, which chronicles a worldwide zombie outbreak through the first-hand accounts of survivors. The original screenplay was penned by “Babylon 5″ creator J. Michael Straczynski, but was later rewritten by Matthew Michael Carnahan.

Brooks said the studio recently received a new draft of the “World War Z” script, and “Quantum of Solace” director Marc Forster is still attached to direct the film.

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