Duvall Calls Out Brad Pitt - NBC New York


Duvall Calls Out Brad Pitt



    There's been all sorts of confusion over whether Scott Cooper and Brad Pitt are teaming to bring the story of "The Hatfields and The McCoys" to the big screen, with some folks erring on the side of unbridled gusto.

    Some light googling will reveal any number of stories making it sound like a done deal. Hollywood Elsewhere reported on the film by properly hedging -- "if and when" -- which slowly turned into /Film reporting "Pitt’s Plan B would produce" (italics added) and eventually into Dark Horizons claiming "Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart") is set to direct 'The Hatfields and the McCoys' for Warner Bros. Pictures reports /Film."

    You can see all sorts of headlines about the topic at IMDB, or you can read this transcript of Duvall from another roundtable done during the same junket yesterday, where the legendary actor was promoting his latest film "Get Low":

    "I talked to ('Crazy Heart' director Scott Cooper) this morning. Now he's been offered to direct a phenomenal script called 'The Hatfield and The McCoys.' It's American Shakespeare. He flew all the way to Venice to talk to Brad Pitt. If any of you know Brad Pitt, tell him to let the thing go and let's do it. He's got so many options, the guy, Brad Pitt. Warner Bros. would do it, they would write the check to do it ... for Scott Cooper to direct it. That's one that's easy money if Brad Pitt would say yes. And it's a great, great script by Eric Roth.

    Clearly there's no deal in place yet. It appears that Duvall is simply leveraging his star power and the press surrounding his new film, "Get Low," at the Tribeca Film Festival. And why not? He's Robert Duvall, dammit. Who's Brad Pitt to stand in his way?