Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (2011)

[Watashi]

Brad Pitt is in talks to star in Tree of Life, a drama Terrence Malick wrote and will direct.

River Road is financing, and Bill Pohlad is producing with Sarah Green (The New World) and Grant Hill.

Pitt, who recently ankled the Universal Pictures drama State of Play, would replace Heath Ledger, who was scheduled to star with Sean Penn in the Malick-directed drama, which begins production in the spring.

Though Penn is booked to play the title character in the Gus Van Sant-directed Harvey Milk, he's still expected to play a supporting role in Tree of Life.

It's actually being...made?

This has financial disaster and greatest film ever made written all over it.

[[ETM]]

Wait... Tree of Life? Wasn't Pitt originally supposed to be in The Fountain?

[Qrazy]

Ledger would have been better than Pitt.

[EvilShoe]

Ledger would have been better than Pitt.

Recently I wasn't too impressed with Pitt's performance in Babel (probably because he sucked in it), but he was pretty great in The Assassination of Jesse James.

Not saying he's better than Ledger, but maybe he'll do good here as well.

[Qrazy]

Recently I wasn't too impressed with Pitt's performance in Babel (probably because he sucked in it), but he was pretty great in The Assassination of Jesse James.

Not saying he's better than Ledger, but maybe he'll do good here as well.

Haven't seen Assassination yet, looking forward to it though.

[megladon8]

Wait... Tree of Life? Wasn't Pitt originally supposed to be in The Fountain?

That's what I thought when I clicked in this thread, too.

[Duncan]

As long as it's being made. Richard Gere stars in Days of Heaven. That film is still incredible.

[Raiders]

Hm, I always thought of Brad Pitt as a good actor. I'm not sure he has given a performance I don't like. Then again, I have likely avoided his weakest projects, but still, his presence doesn't change my anticipation at all.

[Boner M]

It's weird that I now lump together a troupe of Malick-esque actors simply because they've been in vaguely Malick-like films - Sam Rockwell, Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, all who've worked with David Gordon Green and were in Jesse James, and now Brad Pitt.

[DavidSeven]

Worst Pitt performance I've seen: guest spot on "Growing Pains" as Carol's love interest. Hilariously awful. He's definitely come a long way since then.

[Qrazy]

Hm, I always thought of Brad Pitt as a good actor. I'm not sure he has given a performance I don't like. Then again, I have likely avoided his weakest projects, but still, his presence doesn't change my anticipation at all.

It's not that he's bad, he just has a distinct screen presence that doesn't mesh in my mind with Malick... then again Malick's all about using the big name stars and usually makes it work so... whatevs.

[DavidSeven]

It's not that he's bad, he just has a distinct screen presence that doesn't mesh in my mind with Malick... then again Malick's all about using the big name stars and usually makes it work so... whatevs.

Why do you say that? No one seemed to complain about his presence in The Assassination of Jesse James, and that could have easily had Malick's name on it.

[Qrazy]

Why do you say that? No one seemed to complain about his presence in The Assassination of Jesse James, and that could have easily had Malick's name on it.

I haven't seen Assassination so I can't comment, maybe I'm wrong, I don't have any strong personal bias either way. I think Pitt's a fine actor I just would have preferred Ledger for the part.

[DavidSeven]

Might seem redundant after Pitt just starred in the seemingly Malick-esque Jesse James picture. It's a step up from Colin Farrell though.

[D_Davis]

I want this film to be made so bad it hurts.

[Watashi]

Rereading this thread is awesome. All it did was made me want to rewatch The Tree of Life. Also made me miss a lot of the great people of yesteryear who don't post anymore.