Angelina Jolie’s movie ‘Africa’ is in doubt over finance issues.
The actress-turned-director’s next project – a true story about paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his battle with the ivory poachers who threatened the African elephant population in the 1980s – is in need of funding 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 centrepiece of the film, but the 39-year-old 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.
A search is now underway to find other studios to help fund the picture, which has a reported budget of $110 million.
If another investor isn’t willing to put up the money for production, marketing and distribution, it is likely the film – which was expected to feature Angelina’s husband Brad Pitt in the lead role – will fall apart.
