Peter Pan movie thrown into chaos as Angelina Jolie pulls out last minute leaving the future of the film in the balance
AFTER landing one of the world’s best-known leading ladies, upcoming Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland mash-up Come Away had all the hallmarks of a runaway hit – before filming had even begun.
But I can reveal the block-buster has been thrown into chaos after Angelina Jolie pulled out at the 11th hour.
Ange was due to begin work on the movie in Bucks yesterday morning, alongside Selma and Lincoln star David Oyelowo.
But I’ve learned that late on Monday she called producers to tell them she would not be turning up — leaving the future of the fantasy prequel in the balance.
With Ange still in the UK it is as yet unclear whether she will agree to return to the role in the future or if bosses will be forced to frantically re-cast the part.
An insider said: “Everything was set to get under way this week, it has all been agreed for months. Now nobody is quite sure what is going on.
“She’s an A-list star and a total pro so everybody expected things to begin as planned, but the way she is talking suggests she won’t now take the role at all.
“The top producers are hoping to persuade her to reconsider so they can get things moving, but there are also contingency plans being considered to keep things on track.”
Angelina has plenty on her plate away from the film.
She has filed new divorce papers, begging a judge to finally end her marriage to Brad Pitt this year.
The documents also claim that he ex has not paid “meaningful child support” since their separation in 2016 and has not lived up to an “informal arrangement” they set up.
Movie Come Away imagines Alice and Peter Pan as siblings, with Angelina and David their parents. When their brother dies, the pair join forces to help save their parents from despair.
It sounds like the film’s bosses might need saving from despair of their own if they can’t resolve this one.
READ ON FOR THE REST OF
SIMON BOYLE'S
BIZARRE COLUMN
Johnny in new Depps
HE has had a rocky couple of years – and things are only getting worse for Johnny Depp.
The latest blow has seen his film City Of Lies mysteriously pulled a month before its release date of September 7.
A trailer for the movie about the murder of rapper The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997 was released in May on what would have been the rapper’s 46th birthday. It has racked up more than 3.4million views.
No new release date has been set and no reason has been given for the decision, which comes weeks after the movie’s location manager accused Depp of physically assaulting him on set in April 2017.
Johnny, had a messy divorce from wife Amber Heard last year and has only recently settled a legal feud with his former managers.
He will next be in cinemas in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which is set to open on November 16.
Bizmeter
SHE was a copper the last time she took on an acting role but Jennifer Lopez will swap sides in her next movie to play a former stripper with plans to steal thousands of dollars from her Wall Street clients.
She is also producing the flick, called Hustlers, which is based on a true story.
Rosie's a Meg-a star
JASON Statham’s new film The Meg sees him trying to kill a 75ft prehistoric shark, the Megalodon, while his fiancée Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was dressed to kill at the premiere in LA.
She dazzled in this black dress as she joined him on Monday.
The film , which also stars Orange Is the New Black’s Ruby Rose, is out on Friday and had an estimated £116million budget.
But Jason ended any talk of a big-money deal to take taking over from Daniel Craig as James Bond.
He said: “No one is coming to me for that job.”
Bizmeter
JOAN Collins has been forced to reschedule her unscripted one-woman tour of the UK, which was due to begin next month, because of filming commitments for season eight of telly drama American Horror Story.
The nine-date run has now been postponed until February next year.
Nina's wee spot of bother
IT’s fair to say Nina Nesbitt had a stinker of a day on the set of her new video.
The singer was shooting the visuals for her next single Loyal To Me during the heatwave last month when she got locked in a loo.
She was trapped for almost half an hour until her boyfriend, Lower Than Atlantis frontman Mike Duce, managed to break down the door.
Loyal To Me is released on Friday and my exclusive picture,shows the lengths she went to in the video – which mostly involved standing on her tiptoes, ballet style. She also tries hiplet, a dance which blends ballet and hip-hop.
It’s a good watch. In fact, I’m wee-lly impressed.
Bizmeter
TOM Hardy clearly finds fatherhood tough. The actor, whose wife is expecting their second child, told Esquire: “There is no harder job on the planet.
You’ve got the military, police, doctors, service personnel – massive respect, huge consequences – but parenting? It’s beyond a job, isn’t it.”
Perrie precarious
LITTLE Mix’s Perrie Edwards looks shipshape as she poses for another racy holiday snap.
She did a sexier Titanic impression on a boat trip in Mykonos, Greece, with her footballer fella Alex Oxlade Chamberlain yesterday.
Perrie captioned the shot: “We very nearly had a woman overboard.”
Her bandmates are also catching some sun before the release of their fifth record, with Jade Thirwall also in Mykonos and Leigh-Anne Pinnock in Marbella, Spain.
Sure we’ll see pics from Jesy Nelson soon.
Instaglam
WHAT’S black, white and red hot all over? Iggy Azalea in zebra-print bikini on her Miami holiday
Bizmeter
ARIANA Grande and James Corden have teased fans that they will be recording a Carpool Karaoke skit ahead of her new album Sweetener next week.
James shared a snap of lyrics to her songs on Twitter, with the caption “Learning these”, to which Ariana replied: “Sick, what for?”
Moving on
KEEPING Up With The Kardashians won’t be short of drama in upcoming episodes.
Kourtney has been left heartbroken after splitting from her boyfriend of a year, Younes Bendjima.
To make things worse, the Algerian model has already moved on with former Hooters waitress Jordan Ozuna, who has previously dated Tyga and Justin Bieber.
Younes packed on the PDA with Jordan on a beach during a trip to Mexico this week.
That’s one way to rub your ex’s face in it.
Leona wedding bells
CONGRATULATIONS to Leona Lewis, who is engaged after eight years of dating.
Her dancer and choreographer boyfriend Dennis Jauch popped the question during a getaway in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last week.
Former X Factor winner Leona, shared a snap of the huge rock he gave her on Instagram.
It comes after the pair, who started dating when Dennis was Leona’s backing dancer, celebrated their anniversary on August 1.
To mark that occasion, Dennis shared photos of them together on Instagram and wrote: “It’s been the most beautiful eight years of my life with this incredible human being.
“Here’s to many more beautiful memories.”
I’ll keep an eye out for my wedding invite.
Gaga Ga-going for Vegas
LADY Gaga is preparing to return to the stage six months after axing the majority of her European tour due to chronic pain.
The Applause singer has announced her first Las Vegas residency, which will run for two years at the Park Theater, will begin on December 28.
Called Enigma, the concerts will also include some special shows of jazz and piano numbers.
Gaga said: “I can’t wait to share Enigma with all of my fans and with Las Vegas. We’re creating a show unlike anything I’ve done before.
“It will be a celebration of all that is unique and different within us.”
As long as there are no cancellations this time, that will be enough to please the fans.
most read in bizarre
Biz bits
- GORGON CITY’s second album, Escape, is out on Friday and the electronic duo will perform for two hours on a boat through London tomorrow before heading east to a venue in Hackney for a star-studded party.
- THE Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour in Herts is to host two costume evenings on October 6 and 7. Fans are invited to visit dressed as their favourite character to celebrate the outfits of the Dark Arts.