Actress Angelina Jolie is said to be pulling out of a movie she’s been desperately trying to get into production for years, because she does not want to work with Brad Pitt, a news website reported on Sunday.
Up until now the actress has been on board to direct ‘Africa’, a £85m biopic of archaeologist Dr. Richard Leakey, who led the fight to end to elephant poaching.
But a source close to the movie’s producers told ‘Heat Street’ that Angelina has stepped down from directing duties and is distancing herself from the project entirely.
However, Pitt – who Jolie is now divorcing after two years of marriage– is allegedly still keen to star in Africa, it seems she’s done a bunk to avoid him, it said.
A source said: ‘This movie has been a nightmare to get off the ground from the beginning. Until the last few weeks Angelina was resolute in her intent to get it made but now she doesn’t want to direct it at all.’
It added:’ Pitt was still interested in acting in the movie — for him it was Seven Years in Tibet set in Africa and he wasn’t ready to give up on it. But Angelina now doesn’t want to have any kind of relationship with him, personal or professional.’
Other problems that have apparently blocked the production of ‘Africa’ are disagreements between Jolie and Skydance Productions, who are producing the movie, the report said.
It added that Jolie did not want to make a love story, and that financing the project has proved difficult.