Even by Hollywood “In Development” standards, World War Z, the film adaptation of Max Brooks’ novel about a global zombie outbreak has been dragging its heels.

We reported as long ago as last July that Brad Pitt was confirmed on board and although there is plenty of credible talent on both sides of the camera (Babylon 5 and Changeling scribe J Michael Straczynski, Lions for Lambs and State of Play scripter Matthew Carnahan, Monsters Ball and Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster helming) it seems to be taking an absolute age to get going.

Apparently filming is due to get underway this month and frankly, about time too. Newly on board the growing cast list are now Ed Harris (A History of Violence, Apollo 13, Gone Baby Gone) and Matthew Fox (Lost, Party of Five, Speed Racer, Vantage Point). Whether they will each be one of the characters who provide the first-person narration of the story of the war, which in the book is told some 10 years after the events themselves have taken place, is of course very much down to Straczynski and Carnahan and how faithful they choose to remain to the source material.

Here’s to hoping for a lot of globe-spanning zombie carnage before too long.

Sourced from purest, distilled Deadline with a dash of Bloody Disgusting.