Aaron Sorkin game for 'Moneyball'Columbia taps scribe for baseball dramaJuly 9, 2009, 04:15 PM ET
The writer has been brought on to do a draft of the baseball drama, drawing on Steve Zaillian's earlier take. The studio wants to move forward quickly with the new iteration, with Sorkin set to turn in his version as soon as next month. Brad Pitt remains on board to star, but Steven Soderbergh no longer will write or direct and is not involved in the film. Michael De Luca and Rachael Horovitz are producing "Moneyball," based on Michael Lewis' best-seller about the Oakland A's and their unorthodox approach to evaluating talent. The project has attracted a series of A-listers since development was jump-started last year. After the project gestated for about four years, producers last year brought on Zaillian to pen the script and David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") to direct. Pitt also was attached to star as former prospect and current A's GM Billy Beane, the book's protagonist. Several months after Zaillian turned in his script, the company opted for a new version penned and helmed by Soderbergh. The project was set to go into production last month. But the plug was pulled just days before it was set to start, after Soderbergh turned in a script that Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and other execs deemed too different from what they signed up for. The studio put the project into limited turnaround, giving filmmakers a chance to peddle it to other studios. In the end, however, Columbia decided to make another go of it with "The West Wing" creator Sorkin, who will work from the Zaillian script, not the Soderbergh one. Sorkin has a close relationship with Sony. The A-list scribe recently completed "The Social Network" -- known as the Facebook movie -- for the studio, which is said to be pleased with it. Sorkin also penned Columbia's 1992 hit "A Few Good Men." The scribe also has experience writing tales set in the sports world, creating the critically well-received "Sports Night" for ABC a decade ago. Aaron Sorkin game for 'Moneyball'Columbia taps scribe for baseball dramaJuly 9, 2009, 04:15 PM ET
Columbia is sending Aaron Sorkin to the plate to take a new cut at "Moneyball."
The writer has been brought on to do a draft of the baseball drama, drawing on Steve Zaillian's earlier take. The studio wants to move forward quickly with the new iteration, with Sorkin set to turn in his version as soon as next month. Brad Pitt remains on board to star, but Steven Soderbergh no longer will write or direct and is not involved in the film. Michael De Luca and Rachael Horovitz are producing "Moneyball," based on Michael Lewis' best-seller about the Oakland A's and their unorthodox approach to evaluating talent. The project has attracted a series of A-listers since development was jump-started last year. After the project gestated for about four years, producers last year brought on Zaillian to pen the script and David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") to direct. Pitt also was attached to star as former prospect and current A's GM Billy Beane, the book's protagonist. Several months after Zaillian turned in his script, the company opted for a new version penned and helmed by Soderbergh. The project was set to go into production last month. But the plug was pulled just days before it was set to start, after Soderbergh turned in a script that Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and other execs deemed too different from what they signed up for. The studio put the project into limited turnaround, giving filmmakers a chance to peddle it to other studios. In the end, however, Columbia decided to make another go of it with "The West Wing" creator Sorkin, who will work from the Zaillian script, not the Soderbergh one. Sorkin has a close relationship with Sony. The A-list scribe recently completed "The Social Network" -- known as the Facebook movie -- for the studio, which is said to be pleased with it. Sorkin also penned Columbia's 1992 hit "A Few Good Men." The scribe also has experience writing tales set in the sports world, creating the critically well-received "Sports Night" for ABC a decade ago.
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