George Clooney And Brad Pitt Fighting To Produce Strong And Smart Movies
Brad Pitt and George Clooney are similar in a variety of ways. They are both talented Hollywood heartthrobs who have been taking on the lead roles in films for decades. Both men are married to notable women who put forth great humanitarian efforts. Pitt and Clooney are also each known to use their stardom to better the lives of war-stricken nations and the less fortunate. Let’s not forget that both men are not only actors but producers as well, who have starred in big-name films side-by-side and are pals, after all.
Recently, Brad Pitt, who interviewed with New York Magazine, admitted that he and Clooney often have a habit of seeking to develop the same books into movies, under their respective production companies. Vanity Fair relays in regards to the topic.
” [I]n a new interview, Pitt confesses that the two heavyweights, who have co-starred in their own franchise blockbuster in the past, have clashed when it came to adapting certain properties for the screen.”
The competition for the most riveting and entertaining screenplays is real between Clooney and Pitt. Pitt shares on specific projects that he had his eye on which projects went to Clooney and vice versa.
“[It] can get competitive. In all fairness, [George] outbid me on Argo. We do naturally have a lot of the same tastes and interests. With The Big Short, I think maybe we got the upper hand at auction because Michael Lewis and I got tight on Moneyball.”
Pitt also described why it is that the larger production companies are turning down the screenplays that are less likely to involve sequels or to become blockbuster hits.
“The studios don’t want to make them because it doesn’t fit the business model anymore. It’s complicated material, it’s a gamble. They need some guarantee with marquee.”
He and Clooney are willing to take that gamble and have each experienced success with their individual production companies. Pitt has seen a slew of successful films made under Plan B, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Departed, Eat, Pray, Love, 12 Years a Slave, and Selma.
The By the Sea star shares how he is eager to snap up the smarter screenplays that have more complexity to them — those which the larger companies often overlook for fear of not appealing to a broad audience. Pitt shares how it’s exciting to see big-name actors jump behind him in his effort to bring the selected screenplays to life. He explained this part in the process in reference to the movie The Big Short.
“I jump in and take a part first because I love the project, and I gotta get in to make sure it gets made. Then, when Steve Carell and Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling all jump in [in The Big Short], I think it is a testament to the subject matter, and the story, and to Adam McKay’s script. Michael Lewis was able to find the story, to make it interesting—he has such a knack for taking complicated, even mundane material, and making it understandable and even thrilling. […] Adam was brilliant, and our team was brilliant at getting the budget down.”
The most recent slam dunk for Pitt’s production company against team Clooney is in respects to the novel by Paul Barrett entitled, Law of the Jungle. There was talk of a standoff between the two big-time talents earlier this year. Rumors about strained friendships over the competition circulated as well, however, the two stars’ business competition has reportedly not hurt their appreciation for one another in the slightest. Fortune reported as to the details that lead to Pitt winning the rights to the screenplay over Clooney, back in April.
[Feature Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]
