Brad Pitt Leaves "State" in Disarray

Brad Pitt is out in a pay or play deal as a participant in Kevin Macdonald's "State of Play," an adaptation of Paul Abbott and David Yates' BBC miniseries to star Edward Norton, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman and Robin Wright Penn, reports Variety. Russell Crowe is in talks to replace Pitt as a political journalist in a breach of ethics. Norton will star as a congressman under suspicion in the murder of a mistress; Mirren, as a steely newspaper editor; Penn, as the congressman's wife; and Bateman and McAdams, as reporters. Matthew Michael Carnahan ("Lions for Lambs") wrote the script. Andrew Hauptman will produce with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Abbott will executive produce. The production, in a state of flux, must begin to shoot Thursday, or Macdonald will lose other participants in the project.