Zombies -- trendier than yesterday's vampires -- will hit the big screen on the first day of winter 2012, as Paramount releases "World War Z" on December 21 of next year, the studio announced Tuesday.

Brad Pitt stars in and is producing the thriller, now shooting in England. The movie completed initial photography in Malta last month and also will also shoot in Scotland and Hungary.

The movie is about a tough-guy United Nations employee, played by Pitt, who travels the world in an effort to stop a zombie pandemic that is destroying humanity.

The ambitious script was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan ("State of Play"), who adapted it from Max Brooks' best-selling novel "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War." Marc Forster is directing.

In addition to Pitt, the movie stars Mireille Enos ("The Killing"), James Badge Dale ("The Departed"), Matthew Fox ("Lost") and newcomer Daniella Kertesz.

Pitt is producing with Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson.

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