Russell Crowe will take over the role Brad Pitt recently vacated in the Universal Pictures movie State of Play, to be directed by Kevin Macdonald. Pitt's departure had put the start date for the movie in jeopardy however with Crowe agreeing to the project, the film's back on track and production will be able to begin before the end of 2007.
Pitt left the movie in November citing problems with Matthew Michael Carnahan's script. The ongoing Writers Guild strike prohibited Carnahan from making any alterations to the screenplay, and Pitt apparently didn't feel comfortable going ahead with the project without rewrites.
Tim Bevan, Andrew Hauptman and Eric Fellner are producing the film. Crowe joins a cast that includes Edward Norton, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, and Jason Bateman.
Crowe was recently seen in American Gangster with Denzel Washington. Immediately after State of Play the Oscar-winning actor is expected to start work on Nottingham with director Ridley Scott.
Source: Variety
