Angelina Jolie has pulled out of directing Brad Pitt in 'Africa'.
Angelina Jolie
The 52-year-old actor was set to star in his 41-year-old wife's new big budget movie but Angelina has reportedly left the project after filing for divorce from Brad this week.
A source told Heat Street: "This movie has been a nightmare to get off the ground from the beginning. Until the last few weeks Angelina was resolute in her intent to get it made but now she doesn't want to direct it at all.
"Brad was still interested in acting in the movie - for him it was 'Seven Years in Tibet' set in Africa and he wasn't ready to give up on it. But Angelina now doesn't want to have any kind of relationship with him, personal or professional."
'Africa' is a true story about paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his battle with the ivory poachers who threatened the African elephant population in the 1980s and Angelina - who raises six children with Brad - was working from a script written by Eric Roth.
The brunette beauty has previously said: "I've felt a deep connection to Africa and its culture for much of my life, and was taken with Eric's beautiful script about a man drawn into the violent conflict with elephant poachers who emerged with a deeper understanding of man's footprint and a profound sense of responsibility for the world around him."
However, last year the movie's future was put into doubt over finance issues after Skydance Productions reportedly slashed their financial commitment from 50 per cent to 25.
Sources told Deadline the production company and director Angelina were involved in a dispute, with Skydance wanting a love story to be the main focus of the film, but the star only wanted it to be one part.
As a result of the dispute, Skydance dropped their financial offer, though sources close to the production company insisted they never intended to put in more than the 25 per cent commitment that Paramount Pictures also made to the project.
The movie had a reported budget of $110 million.
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