"Moneyball" movie may not be made afterall.

[Austin]

Here's a follow-up to last month's thread about the "Moneyball" movie starring Brad Pitt, based on the book about Oakland A's GM, Billy Beane.

Sony just stopped production of the "Moneyball" movie before filming even started.

Here's the latest:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4278999

 

[ru4scuba]

Here's a follow-up to last month's thread about the "Moneyball" movie starring Brad Pitt, based on the book about Oakland A's GM, Billy Beane.

Sony just stopped production of the "Moneyball" movie before filming even started.

Here's the latest:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4278999

Someone came to their senses.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

good

 

[markakis8]

If Soderbergh really wants the movie to be made, he will find a way. Look at his other projects: Full Frontal, Bubble, and The Girlfriend Experience.

If reports are true about Soderbergh's desire to make this film, it will be made, and barring his shooting schedule, Brad Pitt will follow.

 

[MacK]

Crap, I wanted to see how it was portrayed

 

[BunchOBull]

Sony Hires Sorkin to Rework Brad Pitt’s ‘Moneyball’ (Update1)

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By Michael White

July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp. has revived the Brad Pitt baseball film “Moneyball” after hiring “The West Wing” writer and producer Aaron Sorkin to rework the script, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Pitt remains committed to the movie, based on Michael Lewis’s book about Billy Beane, general manager of Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s, the person said yesterday. The studio is looking for a director to replace Steven Soderbergh, according to the person.

Sony Pictures Entertainment stopped work on the film days before filming was scheduled to begin after Soderbergh submitted a revised script. The studio may have concluded that the changes reduced the film’s prospects, Variety reported at the time. Sony gave Soderbergh the option to offer his revised script to other studios, the person said.

Soderbergh’s manager, Michael Sugar, didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

Culver City, California-based Sony Pictures is developing another Sorkin script, “The Social Network,” a film about the creation of the Facebook Inc. Web site, according to the Internet Movie Database. On “Moneyball,” he’s working from a script by Steve Zaillian, the person said.

Sony spokesman Jim Kennedy said the studio had no comment. Sony shares slipped 0.4 percent to 2,240 yen as of the 11 a.m. trading break in Tokyo. They’ve gained 17 percent this year.

Game Changer

Pitt was cast to play Beane, who recruited undervalued players to turn the A’s into playoff contenders. Lewis’s book chronicles how he assembled his team by ignoring standard measures of performance, such as batting averages. Instead, Beane hired unheralded players with, for instance, a high percentage of walks. Lewis is a columnist for Bloomberg News.

Before the Oakland A’s hired Beane to be the general manager in 1997, the team had five straight losing years. To rebuild his roster, Beane turned to Paul DePodesta, an assistant general manager, to help him analyze baseball statistics.

Beane and DePodesta found that players who get on base more often tend to score more runs, leading to more victories. The implication was that players with high walk and low strikeout percentages may not be superstars, but they do win ballgames.

Among the other changes for “Moneyball,” Scott Rudin has become a co-producer of the film, joining Michael De Luca, the person said. Rudin’s producing credits include “No Country for Old Men,” winner of the best-picture Oscar last year, and “There Will Be Blood,” which was nominated for the award.

No Blockbusters

“A League of Our Own,” Sony’s 1992 comedy starring Tom Hanks, generated ticket sales of $107.5 million, making it the only baseball film to take in more than $100 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to Box Office Mojo LLC, which tracks receipts. The film was made for about $40 million, the Web site said. The average sales for 37 baseball films listed on the Burbank, California-based site are $25.3 million.

Sony ranks fifth in 2009 box-office receipts at theaters in the U.S. and Canada with $587.4 million in sales as of June 21, according to Box Office Mojo. Time Warner is first with $896.1 million.

To contact the reporters on this story: Michael White in Los Angeles at [email protected].

 

[markakis8]

Wow, I'm really surprised Soderbergh left the project. Usually when he has his mind made up about what he wants to produce, he sticks to it.

Good luck Moneyball...