Sony bunts on Soderbergh's 'Moneyball'

Columbia Pictures has passed on “Moneyball,” the Steven Soderbergh-directed Brad Pitt headliner that was supposed to begin production on Monday in Phoenix.

On Friday, Columbia Pictures’ Amy Pascal placed the picture into “limited turnaround,” giving the filmmaker the chance to set it up at another studio, with Warner Brothers and Paramount showing interest.

According to Variety, the move came after Pascal read a rewrite that Soderbergh did to Steven Zaillian's script and found it very different from the earlier scripts she had liked. Pascal was uncomfortable enough with how the vision had changed that she decided to pass on the project.

If a new financier doesn’t emerge, Columbia will re-examine options that include replacing Soderbergh, delaying the film until Pascal and the filmmaker find themselves in agreement on the script or pulling out of the project completely.

The turnaround news on “Moneyball” is surprising given that the project was just 96 hours before the participants were ready to start, following three months of preparation and with camera tests completed and cast and budget in place.

“Moneyball” is based on the bestselling Michael Lewis book about Billy Beane (Pitt), the former baseball player who resurfaced as the Oakland A’s general manager and found success fielding competitive teams for low cost.

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