Brad Pitt has closed his deal to star in “Inglorious Bastards,” the WWII drama that Quentin Tarantino will direct for the Weinstein Co. and Universal.
Picture begins production Oct. 13 in Germany. Tarantino, who wrote the script, is aiming to complete the film and have it ready for next year’s Cannes Film Festival. Lawrence Bender and Erica Steinberg are producing, with Harvey and Bob Weinstein as executive producers.
Deal puts Pitt back in business with Universal; apparently he and the studio have patched things up following his last-minute exit from “State of Play” late last year. Pitt will play a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers. Bender said casting should be complete in about a week or two. Eli Roth will play the role of Sgt. Donnie Donowitz, and Tarantino is locking in the other seven American actors who make up the Bastards team.
I’ve read the script (which I enjoyed very much) and Pitt is very good casting for that part. But Eli Roth? When you are primarily known for being a director and you’re not even good at that, it doesn’t bode well for your acting chops. Roth is TERRIBLE casting and that great part in the film is now ruined. It was originally supposed to be Adam Sandler.
