| Moneyball – the oft-delayed Steven Soderbergh/Brad Pitt baseball movie which became just the Brad Pitt baseball movie when Soderbergh exited stage left, pursued by unhappy Sony executives – may, at long last, have found a new director. The Hollywood Reporter is saying that (500) Days Of Summer director, Marc Webb, might be the guy to step up to the plate on the movie, which will tell the story of how unorthodox general manager, Billy Beane (Pitt) transformed the fortunes of the Oakland As by putting his faith in a stat-based recruitment system. As opposed to Rafa Benitez, whose recruitment system is tombola-based*. Webb is just one of a number of directors who have, apparently, met with Pitt, the movie’s producers and Sony execs over the past few weeks, and looks like he could be favourite to bag the job. But not so fast! Capote director, Bennett Miller, is also in the mix. Sony, of course, parted company with Soderbergh after objecting to his treatment for the film, which would have involved documentary-style interviews with real Oakland As stars and, possibly, even some computer animation. That was deemed too risky and expensive and so, with production about to begin, the plug was pulled. Now the script has been rejigged, and they’re ready to roll the Moneyball once again. So, if you had your druthers, readers, which would you go for: Webb, or Miller? Or neither? Will you, like Empire, mourn what could have been, for Soderbergh was clearly attempting to break away from the sports movie norm, and it’s a shame that he wasn’t allowed to have his head. But we wish whoever fills his shoes all the best.
* Kidding! |
