01 December 2015
Newsdesk
Actor Brad Pitt frequently finds himself in fierce competition with pal George Clooney over movie rights.
The stars have bid on many of the same projects over the years and Brad reveals he recently beat out George to score the rights to the Law of the Jungle adaptation.
"'In all fairness, he outbid me on Argo," Brad tells New York Magazine. "But, yeah, it can get competitive. We do naturally have a lot of the same tastes and interests."
Brad also outbid George for the rights to his new film The Big Short, based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, about the financial problems which led to the worldwide economic downturn of 2007-2008.
"I think maybe we got the upper hand at auction because Michael Lewis and I got tight on (his 2011 movie) Moneyball," he explains. The baseball film was also adapted from another of the author's non-fiction books.
Brad, 51, appears in The Big Short opposite Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, and reveals he was prompted to take on a leading role so the film would get financed.
"It's complicated material, it's a gamble," he adds. "They need some guarantee with marquee. So often I jump in and take a part first because I love the project, and I gotta get in to make sure it gets made."
The Big Short is not the only film Brad has stepped onscreen for to get the project made - the Hollywood star also threw his support behind the Academy Award-winning movie 12 Years A Slave, in which he took on a small role.
Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor previously praised Brad for his efforts behind the scenes.
"I think the truth is we wouldn't have been able to make this film without Brad Pitt, because of what he brings...," he said in 2013. "So him coming on board and him being a producer made, I think, the complete difference to make the film. It just goes to show what an individual could do when they have that kind of reach and they're prepared to use it to support filmmakers. I'm deeply grateful to him for allowing this film to be made."
