We reported last week that Brad Pitt had sent the movie version of State Of Play into a tailspin after ditching the script following script worries.
The move left the film struggling, as it needs a full cast in place in order to start shooting – particularly as several cast members (most notably Helen Mirren) have other acting commitments post-Play that can’t be moved.
So what to do? Amazingly, it looks like the studio and director Kevin Macdonald spent their Thanksgiving holiday reaching out to Russell Crowe, in the hopes that he’ll fill the void. If he signs – and he hasn’t said yes yet – he’ll take on the part of a political expert-turned journalist who faces a conflict of interest when he investigates a murder tied to the mistress of his former boss, young, rising congressman Edward Norton. Oh, and he’ll also start an affair with Norton’s wife, Robin Wright Penn.
The studio executives will be holding their breath and waiting for Crowe to sign. He already has a pretty full schedule, with Nottingham coming up for Ridley Scott… Everyone cross their fingers!
