Pitt quits Hollywood remake of BBC drama

[demoleft]

Source: The Guardian

Brad Pitt has walked out of the US remake of the drama State of Play, one of the most critically acclaimed British thrillers of recent years, because of "concerns over the script", it emerged yesterday.

The 43-year-old actor signed up to play Cal McCaffrey, a journalist whose investigation into a political researcher's death leads him to a tortuous conspiracy and back to an old friend.

Filming for Universal Pictures was supposed to begin last Thursday but Pitt is understood to have left the project, worried about the script. A strike by Hollywood writers means there is no way to change or rewrite material.

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If the studio cannot find a replacement it could bring a lawsuit against Pitt for failing to honour the deal.



Read more: http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2215791,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

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which kind of worry about the script?

The telegraph.co.uk says:
"The script - which has reportedly been significantly altered since Pitt signed up for the project - cannot be rewritten now because of the ongoing writers strike in the US."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/22/wpitt122.xml

this political drama is becoming a case.
here more in the Hollywood Reporter:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia0d5d5dafa5db1702170a1e228989d1c

[xchrom]

1. the heart and soul of an actors paycheck is really in

the hands of writers.

i can bet pitt isn't the only experiencing some real anxiety over this.

i don't think suing at this juncture is going to help -- not if you want to keep relations good for any future projects -- i mean pitt is a pretty well connected person at this point.

[dipsydoodle]

2. If of interest original synopsis is here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/stateofplay/

[peacetalksforall]

3. Just thinking... U.S. remake, Warner Bros. - of Time Warner as of CNN?

Don't know if it's just some poor writing, or if it slurs somone or some people ... could be anything, but it could be political if its a U.S. remake. The actors in Hollywood may lean left but the studios are leaning right to very right.

[Catch22Dem]

4. I think it's less complicated

Actors who have reached the level of fame Brad Pitt has, typically ask for changes of various sorts and often play a large part in substantial re-writes. He may just not like some aspects of the script, and with no recourse, chooses to not be involved in the project any more. I'd be curious to see if he returns after the strike...assuming the role is not filled by someone else.

They ought to put the production on hold until after the strike. Pitt in your movie is almost guaranteed money.