State Of Play looks like it is losing people faster than a burning boat. We get the news today of the old switcheroo thanks to the blessed caves of yahoo:
Edward Norton has dropped out of the troubled political thriller because of a scheduling conflict, and is set to be replaced by Ben Affleck. Norton’s departure follows the high-profile exit in November of Brad Pitt, who cited concerns with the script of “Lions for Lambs” scribe Matthew Michael Carnahan. That led the film’s distributor, Universal, to raise the possibility of legal action against Pitt.
Russell Crowe was quickly recruited to replace Pitt, after director Kevin Macdonald flew to Australia to woo him, and the film’s imminent start date was delayed to January. Because of the change, Norton asked Universal if he could be replaced so that he could fulfill a prior commitment to Tim Blake Nelson’s indie comedy “Leaves of Grass,” which he is both starring in and producing.
This is the type of movie that I love to avoid. Political thrillers get some people very excited; I am not one of them. I must admit however that the cast looks fantastic and it is a sweet score for Affleck. He has landed a role amongst a crew of heavyweights, and things look like they are on the upswing for the man who has impregnated Jennifer Garner with legitimate intercourse.
I am wondering if Norton bailed on this project and used the rescheduling as an excuse. It would of been cool to see Norton and Pitt working together again, but now both of them have ditched the project. I guess if one half of Tyler Durden bails; the other is soon to follow. Fuck this movie, lets scrap!
Eleventh Rule of Fight Club – If one person bails on a movie, we all bail.
Could this be Affleck’s chance at redeeming his acting career? Don’t screw it up, Ben!