Yes, there's more. It's safe to say that producer Scott Rudin and Angelina Jolie are not exactly the best of friends, as evidenced in the latest batch of leaked emails from the Sony hack posted by Gawker, in which Rudin calls the superstar "out of her mind."
The point of tension in this particular case was centered on Jolie's planned Cleopatra biopic, which the actress wanted David Fincher to direct while Rudin wanted him for the Steve Jobs movie. The emails date back to December 2013, when the screenwriter Eric Roth sent over a draft for Cleopatra, and were initially friendly… until competing interests came into play.
"Get your egyptian sandals on ……he did it," Sony Pictures Entertainment Chair Amy Pascal joked in an email to Rudin and Jolie, to which Rudin responded: "Home run or whatever a home run would be called in Alexandria."
Rudin and Pascal were close at the time, as were Pascal and Jolie. Earlier that November, Pascal wrote to Brad Pitt's love: "You are a treasure/I love you Tons." Jolie responded: "Love you Amy xxx."
With a solid script in hand, Rudin told Jolie: "The only thing standing between us and this movie is your learning ancient Egyptian. Could you be ready by January 5?"
Jolie, however, wanted to proceed with caution. "I think we have to clean up the script and then enhance. I have crossed out many things and made adjustments," she wrote in an email to Pascal in January. "I would like to strip the things that lead it off track first. We need to be clear and efficient in order to get this done in a decent time. I started to re read the book [2010 bestselling book Cleopatra: A Life, written by Stacy Schiff] and I am talking to philosophy teachers ect."
For Jolie, she wanted the focus of the story to be a historically accurate one about Cleopatra herself without Hollywood-style embellishments. In a private email, Pascal wrote to Rudin: "[Angelina] will like it CUZ there is barely any vulnerability left in her character and she now seems responsible for everything that ever happened," but turning the film into a commercial success was also a concern. "We are gonna have to lean on her to make it a love story [with Marc Anthony]," Pascal wrote.
As Rudin and Pascal tried to set up meetings in January, an exasperated Rudin wrote: " She knows it's off [in terms of script]. Calm down. She's an actress for hire, not Cleopatra."
Rudin went on to accuse Pascal of speaking to Fincher about the script. "Wanna talk or keep fighting?" Pascal asked Rudin at one point. "Keep fighting right now please," Rudin replied.
Pascal then suggested other high-profile directors to helm Jobs, including Martin Scorsese and Ang Lee. Rudin, though, remained resolute about having Gone Girl's Fincher to lead Jobs. By February, Rudin nabbed Scorsese and attempted to appease Jolie by telling her that Scorsese was a possible option for director.
"Amazing news. I am in edit and only half way through but so far I see that yes it's still long but it's strong and smart and with intrigue and sensuality," Jolie wrote in March. "I love all the characters and feel it's more focused. Any director in their righting [right mind] will be happy that it will not be hard to trim and that he will have a say in what stays. It's all very exciting. Let me know if there is anything I should be doing. Like getting on a plane and begging Marty [Scorsese] xxx."
As the project continually got delayed, Jolie started getting impatient. "Brad is planning a film of the same period you should know," she wrote an email. "He will now beat [us] to it. I suppose giving me more and more time to prepare." (It's unclear if this email was about her husband Brad Pitt.)
In between, other possible options for alternative directors and screenplays were dangled about, but Jolie remained firm in wanting to work with solid directors. "My point is that we have done something special and I don't think we should adjust course but streamline and clarify and hold strong," the actress wrote. "But of course, I'm open to all discussions."
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Rudin, then, sent a private email to Pascal. "She's seriously out of her mind.
Pascal and Rudin's relationship ultimately deteriorated, while Jolie still remained close to Pascal. Cleopatra, meanwhile, is in the works for 2016, with Scorsese expected to possibly direct the epic. "Unbelievably excited," Jolie wrote to Pascal in November about her passion project. Read more of Rudin's harsh commens about Jolie in leaked emails.
"Me too," Pascal responding, adding she had spoken "about wigs last night."
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