From Variety: “Oscar-nominated scribe Steven Knight has been tapped to write Paramount and Skydance’s sequel to “World War Z,” sources confirm.

J.A. Bayona (“The Impossible”) will direct the zombie sequel, with Brad Pitt returning in the starring role.

Plot details are unknown, but the film is expected to continue the story of Max Brooks’ popular novel.

Pitt will produce the apocalyptic tentpole alongside Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner for Plan B.

The hiring of Knight comes weeks after it was announced that Pitt was in early talks to star in an untitled World War II romantic thriller, also written by Knight. That project does not have a distributor.

“World War Z,” directed by Marc Forster, earned more than $540 million worldwide in 2013 and is the highest-grossing film of Pitt’s career.

Knight most recently helmed Tom Hardy in “Locke” and was nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for “Dirty Pretty Things.”

He is repped by CAA and United Agents.”