Sony has pulled out of the long approved Moneyball film, which was supposed to start production this week.  Steven Soderbergh rewrote a script that veered far from what Columbia Pictures head Amy Pascal was fired up about and they decided to dump the film at the “last minute.”  (Which in reality happens quite a bit, just not that often when you have an A-list director and Brad Pitt fully committed to star!)  Steven Zallian wrote the original screenplay that had Pascal ready to play ball originally.

“Moneyball” is based on the Major League Baseball Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane’s formula for success in the league with a low-cost team still competing at a high level.  The book was written by Michael Lewis, full title “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.”  Soderbergh plans on using several former MLB players in roles, including Halle Berry’s ex-husband and one-time actor David Justice.  Ex-stars Daryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra are among the ball players interviewed for vignettes that were planned to be interspersed in the movie.  The film still hopes to land elsewhere as the most likely targets are Warner and Paramount.

Admittedly, I have a particular interest in this topic, primarily due to the director and star on board.  As a lifelong sports and baseball fan (go Tigers!) and a native of the Bay Area, Beane’s success was highly publicized and I have long been aware of the moneyball concept.  I would like to see how this film turns out.  Apparently the $50mm budget is a concern, so we’ll see if another studio grabs it in short order with all the players still on board and ready to go.  What do you think; are you hoping this one still makes the big screen?  Would you plan on being a paying customer?  Source: Ballhype