It’s been little more than a month since Brad Pitt got rid of his ungodly facial dust-bunny, which doesn’t give me a Javier Bardem-sized mancrush on the guy but at least means I can look at him without being forcibly reminded of the leftover pad thai that’s been fermenting at the back of my refrigerator for the last year or so. But the neatly groomed chin makes a difference: already Brad’s career prospects are looking up. (Not that Brad’s career prospects were ever bleak, but that goatee could not possibly have been helping.) Mr. Pitt is now officially signed on for the movie adaptation of World War Z, which has been trapped in development hell for about three years now but continues to shamble forward. This is good news to the book’s writer, Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks, but significantly less comical):

I’m glad they took their time, and are trying to make the best zombie movie they can,” said Brooks. “I’m so glad they stayed with the project and so glad they found the right team.”

Signing Brad Pitt onto the project does seem to be a good indication that Paramount is committed to seeing this through. Nor does it hurt that Pitt’s own Plan B Entertainment company is producing the film. Still, if the early and quite imaginary storyboards are anything to go by, come summer 2012 (the currently planned release date) we’ll all be glad that they took their time and did justice to the book.