Brad Pitt Exits Film Over Script Woes

32 Comments »

1. Well I am sure Universal is just delighted to have the production costs freed up as extra revenue… right, Gavin?

   Comment by Norm A. Rae — November 21, 2007 @ 1:43 pm

2. Keep the leverage coming, bit by bit. The studios can’t live in denial forever.

   Comment by Caitlin — November 21, 2007 @ 1:49 pm

3. Right On Bradley. Smoke one for me

   Comment by weedisyourfriend — November 21, 2007 @ 1:52 pm

4. Interestingly, UNIVERSAL did not state that this will push to post strike…they did say they reserve all rights which is not so good for mr. Pitt.

   Comment by nyerinla — November 21, 2007 @ 2:51 pm

5. Ow-fucking-ch.

   Comment by Carlo — November 21, 2007 @ 3:57 pm

6. Can someone please explain to me how Brad Pitt would even know a good script when he sees one considering, out of all the films he’s done, only three have been well written?

   He wouldn’t know a good script if he got papercut on it.

   I haven’t read the script in question but I find it hard to imagine that it’s so bad if it managed to land this terrific a cast. Sure, good actors can end up in bad movies but usually not enmass.

   And anyone else notice that, of the films he’s actually produced, none of them were well written?

   Comment by Non WGA Writer — November 21, 2007 @ 4:40 pm

7. Wow. Universal/Working Title can’t be happy — because they have a serious amount of money in this script. Matt Carnahan wrote the first draft and coming off two produced flicks, he couldn’t have been that cheap. Peter Morgan got a fortune — two mil I hear — to do a month, only to be replaced by Billy Ray, who is very expensive as well.

   Comment by cChris — November 21, 2007 @ 5:02 pm

8. Nice going, Brad. By pulling out of this production like this — after the studio pushed the start date to try to convince him not to breach his contract — it means that the production will likely be shut down, right in the middle of the writers strike. That means hundreds of people — yes, those names you see in the credits who are just trying to put food on the table for their families — who thought they were lucky enough to have a job lined up during the strike are now out of a job.

   According to online press reports about this story, Pitt did this before on The Fountain and nearly did it on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the one film starring Brad that has made money. And what’s most recent on his resume? That *wonderful* Jesse James movie that was in the theaters for 5 minutes.

   How ’bout “Think Globally, Act Locally”? Why not care about the hundreds of people affected by your cavalier decision — instead of pretending to care about Darfur and Cambodia. He & family are already here in L.A. as Jolie is working on “The Changeling.” Their kids are at the Universal daycare, for crissake!

   Can’t wait until the world is over this guy and his crappy career dries up.

   Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2007 @ 5:18 pm

9. Could never understand Brad Pitt’s A-list status, other than for his looks. He has rarely made a good film, is a dull actor, and now age is fading his looks.

   The heyday of faux superstardom along with their grotesquely inflated paychecks is likely ending, with the birth of the digital age, more reasonably budgeted projects, and more equalization of pay between artists

   Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2007 @ 5:28 pm

10. Is Brad developing commitment issues? How many projects does this make, that he has walk off just before start date? The Fountain was also with Universal, but they went with him again, and have now been burned for the second time. Ouch.

    Comment by foolmeonce — November 21, 2007 @ 6:19 pm

11. Variety just updated this story and the reason Brad walked. He wanted the strike resolved so that the script that has changed so much from what he signed onto could be re written by Carnahan to bring the script close to the original, but Universal wanted to go with the current re writes. The studios don’t want to give the impression that the strike is hurting them, so they rushed out a statement.

    Good for you Brad, stand your ground, hopefully if many more high profile shoots are grounded the studios will realize it is in their best interest to settle the dispute.

    Comment by Mary — November 21, 2007 @ 6:37 pm

12. Well cChris, leave it to Working Title to spend all that money and still end up with a crap script. I trust Brad on this one because WT doesn’t know how to develop anything, no matter how much $$ they throw at it. If it weren’t for a Richard Curtis, they wouldn’t even exist.

    Comment by Tim B. — November 21, 2007 @ 6:44 pm

13. C’mon - all this anti-Brad noise misses the point: He dropped out of the movie strictly because they can’t make any further script revisions. Universal is simply going to re-cast. If they can’t, then this is one very high profile smart thriller with critical AND commercial appeal that’s gone from the slate. Can’t see how Universal would be pleased with this one bit.

    I read an early draft of the script, and can easily see both how it attracted such great names, but also cried out for some serious changes. So why would he do a movie that’s gonna shoot from a script that can’t improve from “pretty good”?

    And anybody on Earth who’s actually seen THE FOUNTAIN would agree that dropping outta that one was probably the best career move Brad’s ever made.

    Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2007 @ 6:49 pm

14. @foolmeonce:

    The Fountain was with WB.

    Now he’s got 2 strikes. Who’s the next victim?

    Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2007 @ 7:02 pm

15. “Wow. Universal/Working Title can’t be happy — because they have a serious amount of money in this script. Matt Carnahan wrote the first draft and coming off two produced flicks, he couldn’t have been that cheap. Peter Morgan got a fortune — two mil I hear — to do a month, only to be replaced by Billy Ray, who is very expensive as well.”

    …and writer’s want more money?

    Comment by nice — November 21, 2007 @ 7:44 pm

16. I may be a bit naive, but, if Brad Pitt has final script approval in his contract and he never gave that and exercised his option to walk, then how can Universal sue?

    And with Mr. and Mrs. Smith, he almost dropped out because Nicole Kidman dropped out due to The Stepford Wives running over. If the studio couldn’t find a replacement, in a certain window for shooting, he wouldn’t be able to do the movie, due to scheduling conflicts.

    Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2007 @ 8:44 pm

17. “…and writer’s want more money?”

    For proper use of an apostrophe they do.

    Comment by Rory L. Aronsky — November 21, 2007 @ 8:49 pm

18. Calm down, no one is out of a job. Universal will recast cheaper and make what could have been a great film a run of the mill one. Brad’s problem with the script were well known, he had invested 16 months on this project, the studio was not surprised. The studio refuses to wait for a writer because they want to demonstrate how big and bad they are. The Fountain was a piece of crap. Clooney and RyanG just dropped out of films recently also. There is not an actor alive who has not dropped out of a film more than once.

    Comment by willberecast — November 21, 2007 @ 10:01 pm

19. Update adding Pitt’s side:

    Pitt’s camp disputes that he violated a pay or play deal, that he ever approved a final script, or that he even wanted to drop out of the film that he has been the driving force behind for 16 months. At issue is a disagreement with the studio over the final direction of the shooting script.

    The film has been a high U priority since the studio and producers Andrew Hauptman and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner landed the project after a hot bidding battle. Pitt became the first talent attachment, when he agreed to play a politico-turned-journalist whose loyalties are tested when he spearheads a newspaper’s investigation into a murder that leads to the fast-rising pol whose campaigns the journo once ran (Daily Variety, July 27, 2006).

    Pitt sparked to a script by Matthew Michael Carnahan, who adapted the Paul Abbott-created British miniseries. While the actor went off and made several movies in quick succession, most recently “Burn After Reading,” Universal went through rewrites by the likes of Peter Morgan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray. While the film attracted a sparkling cast, Pitt’s vision departed with that of the studio somewhere along that rewrite trail.

    Numerous films have been unplugged within the last week because of the writer’s strike, but the others were by mutual agreement between the studios and the filmmakers. This was different. Pitt wanted to wait for a strike resolution to get a final rewrite that brought the film back to Carnahan’s original. Universal brass liked the rewritten script better, and told Pitt to honor a contractual commitment so that the studio could release the film for late 2008.

    Comment by Vddddfff — November 21, 2007 @ 10:16 pm

20. Someone really needs to do an investigation into these pay or play deals.

    I mean, an actor can make $20 million for just saying that they’re interested in doing a movie then, at the last minute, make up some excuse as to why they don’t want to do it (”the script isn’t ready”, “creative differences”) and then cash a $20 million check. Oh and they also get some publicity from the trades trumpeting the fact that they were “in talks” months before.

    According to Denzel Washington’s reps, he had a $20 million pay or play deal for AMERICAN GANGSTER. The movie fell apart and Denzel got his $20 million. Then when they movie got started again, Denzel made an ADDITIONAL $20 million.

    There are a couple of stars with play or pay deals who, if the movie does go bust for reasons that have nothing to do with them, they will do another movie for the studio so the studio isn’t out $20 million but actors with ethics are few and far between.

    Most of these actors doing play or pay deals seem to think it’s an easy way to get money for nothing.

    Comment by Sherilyn — November 22, 2007 @ 6:34 am

21. As an avid fan of everything coming from the Beeb I always thought that Hollywood should stop consider remaking of series or mini-series that are so deeply british by their themes or the execution of their concepts… even the casts or characters.

    Comment by Thierry Attard — November 22, 2007 @ 6:39 am

22. Too many characters for a movie, perfect for a mini-series, which is was, so they are getting exactly what they paid for.

    Don’t buy a Hummer and then get mad when it doesn’t fit in economy parking.

    Comment by don — November 22, 2007 @ 7:17 am

23. to anonymous 6:49 pm

    this is a comment board, people may voice their opinion

    if it’s “noise” to you, or you’re a friend of brad (the newest trend here seems to be people getting their friends to write in good things defending them) and offended, then don’t read the comments

    meanwhile, we find it endlessly amusing when celebrities who have elected to be in the public eye, who know what they’re getting into, who have enough money to leave show biz if the scrutiny is too much, who gladly hold their hands out for grotesque piles of money, perqs, and vip treatment, then cry boo-hoo when their picture is taken, or they’re in the tabloids, or they’re criticized online.

    Comment by EF — November 22, 2007 @ 7:53 am

24. Just remember, we all got into the entertainent business because of the stability.

    Comment by sidelined — November 22, 2007 @ 10:40 am

25. As soon as a studio commits to an actor by making him or her “pay or play,” the actor in return gives up creative approvals, with the exception being major changes to the actor’s role. (If someone commits to do a comedy, the producers can’t suddenly change the script so much that it’s a drama, cause that’s not what the actor signed up to do.)

    That’s why the studio then goes on to invest a lot of money in pre-production to get ready for a start date that is just weeks or months away. They are relying on the person’s commitment.

    If the guy signed up to do the role based on a certain script, he can’t walk at the last minute and say “nah, I’d rather go back to the first draft.” Sounds like the director doesn’t want to do the Carnahan script. Doesn’t he get a say? It seems like Brad got some last minute jitters, as he did on The Fountain.

    In hindsight, sure that looks like a good decision on his part, but that misses the point. The industry is undergoing a work stoppage, and as someone wrote earlier, a lot of people will be out of work if this production shuts down. And they won’t be able to line up something else.

    Comment by Entertainment lawyer — November 22, 2007 @ 12:30 pm

26. Universal will go ahead and make this film, they are committed to do so as this is one of their lynchpins for 2008, and the language in their statement let all know they were filming as scheduled. They don’t care what the final product is, just that a film get made. Hugh Jackman will probably get the role, he stepped in for Russell Crowe on the big AUS film with Nicole Kidman that RC backed out on. I really doubt that anyone will be out of a job.

    Comment by filmwillbe made — November 22, 2007 @ 1:16 pm

27. Remember Ryan Gosling just left a film or was replaced, depending on which story one wants to believe, just 2 days or so before shooting began. Mark Walberg stepped in immediately. Universal can find a replacement if they want to. Count on it. If they don’t it’s because (1)the script is really bad and no one they want will do it or (2) Universal decides to sue Brad to keep actors in line with an eye on a potential SAG strike this summer.

    Comment by RyanGreplaced — November 22, 2007 @ 1:26 pm

28. They can’t sue Pitt. He has final script approval in his contract. Universal is just trying to scare him into returning by the 29th which he will not do. Brad should of known better after his last experience with re-writes and more re-writes from The Fountain to get involved with Universal. By the way, since when is it Brad Pitt’s job to keep Hollywood employed? Gosling, Zeta-Jones, Clooney and Johnny Depp have ALL just dropped out of projects. Let’s get real, this happens every day in Hollywood.

    Comment by Anon — November 23, 2007 @ 9:27 am

29. They’ll probably just find an actor who can actually act.

    There must be one in Hollywood.

    Comment by Francine Fishpaw — November 23, 2007 @ 5:39 pm

30. This is just a symptom of a bigger issue in Hollywood and film making in general. The biggest stars in HW are men all over the age of 40. They’ve been around the block and back and have these clauses in their contracts for exactly this type of situation. The studios are forced with the Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt’s, Johnny Depp’s, Tom Cruise’s, Bruce Willis’s, Sean Penn’s, Denzel Washington’s, etc to give script approvals away. So don’t be pissed when the actor actually exercises their right.

    The only way for the studios to get around it is to hire younger talent. Problem is, where is it? The public just does not go to Jake G’s and his peers movies. Hell, the public is barely going to movies now.

    The studios and WRITERS are complicit in the dumming down of scripts.

    And as far as Anonymous — @ 5:28 pm
    is concerned, I wouldn’t call River Runs Through it, Sleepers, Fight Club, Snatch, 12 Monkeys, Kalifornia, Thelma & Louise, Oceans 11 , Mr & Mrs. Smith, Babel and TAOJJ crap movies.

    You can even throw Troy into that mix…movie wasn’t great but it’s earned 500 million worldwide.

    The studio is telling the NYTimes he pulled out hours after the strike happened and Pitt’s came is saying he rejected the script on Nov 3rd two days before the strike. That’s too specific of a timeframe from Pitt and easily verified to not believe him as opposed to umbrella of “hours”.

    Comment by Dino — November 24, 2007 @ 7:02 am

31. The problem is the studios fawning over these stars and giving them not only these ridiculously high paychecks (Tom Cruise makes an average of $100 million per movie thanks to front and backend deals) but also script approval, co-star approval etc. That’s giving way too much power to someone who ISN’T guaranteed to bring in an audience. Nobody is guaranteed to bring in the audience. So why give someone all that power? So it’s not about them being older stars. It’s about the studios giving too much power to the actors and then whining to everyone else lower down the ladder that they aren’t making money from these movies. Hollywood needs to go back to how it was in the golden age when everyone made less money but were pretty much guaranteed plenty of work. Making everyone freelance has resulted in what we have today (money-grabbing stars, sleazy agents, people going years without a job).

    Comment by Stacey — November 24, 2007 @ 9:27 am

32. Thank God!!!! Another Pittiful movie I don’t have to avoid.

    Keep up the good work Brad, you just saved me another $8.00.

    Comment by EYE — April 28, 2008 @ 9:22 am

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