It was easy to dismiss The Sun's original claim that they were staying tor 2 years to make 3 films since it accompanied a bogus story that they bought a house in Richmond. The same tabloid last year claimed they would be staying in London after WWZ so Angelina could work with Danny Boyle -- neither of which was true. While E Online's sources debunked the Sun's house purchase story, they agreed that the family was staying in London for "quite a long time" -- but just as tenants.
At least 3 unrelated sources have now separately reported that their stay in London extends beyond the end of Maleficent's shoot. Two of these have nothing to do with tabloids -- a student in a school they were checking out and Brad's friend in Birmingham (report below).
Filming for a big $100M+ production (like Salt) typically lasts 4 months but mega-budgeted $200M+ epics of the type Disney makes (POTC & Maleficent) can take 5 - 7 months. A stay of a year & a half suggests that all the films in queue (counting Maleficent) are big to mega-big blockbusters.
My best guess of the other two are Salt 2 and Cleopatra. If Salt 2 is on track for production, it obviously must have a script and a director. Sony has done a great job locking down info after the constant drip of leaks early on with Cleopatra. This leads me to believe that Angelina has become more assertive in taking command of her films for she is certainly one who likes to keep her cards close to her chest.
Brad's Pitt stop in Birmingham
Visit ... Brad Pitt visited chum in Birmingham
Published:
21st
June 2012
A DEPRIVED suburb of Birmingham had a surprise celebrity visitor when BRAD PITT stopped by to visit an old mate.
The Hollywood A-lister turned up unannounced at a solicitor’s office in the
Hall Green area of the city to see friend Mohammed Hussain.
Pitt got to know the 42-year-old solicitor on the set of the Guy Ritchie hit ’Snatch’.
Mr Hussain had not been expecting his megastar chum, and said Pitt was in the office for around 20 minutes chatting with staff.
He added: “He’s a lovely guy, one of the most humble men you could meet.
“Brad and Angelina are in the UK for the next 18 months filming back-to-back.
“He loves Britain and he’s been in Harrod’s every other day shopping for the kids.
“It was a real surprise - it was out of the blue.
“The last time I saw him was in Cannes a couple of years ago.
“We don’t publicise things like this. It’s a friendship thing more than anything.”
Pitt's stop ... Law firm visited by Brad
Tariq Ali, who works in a nearby kebab shop, said he was shocked when he saw
Pitt emerge from a luxury car flanked by burly minders.
He said: “I’d just finished working and thought ’bloody hell I don’t believe
this’.
“You don’t expect to see Brad Pitt in Hall Green.
“There’s only a few kebab houses and a dog track around here, it’s a million miles away from Beverley Hills.”
Pitt got to know the 42-year-old solicitor on the set of the Guy Ritchie hit ’Snatch’.
Mr Hussain had not been expecting his megastar chum, and said Pitt was in the office for around 20 minutes chatting with staff.
He added: “He’s a lovely guy, one of the most humble men you could meet.
“Brad and Angelina are in the UK for the next 18 months filming back-to-back.
“He loves Britain and he’s been in Harrod’s every other day shopping for the kids.
“It was a real surprise - it was out of the blue.
“The last time I saw him was in Cannes a couple of years ago.
“We don’t publicise things like this. It’s a friendship thing more than anything.”
Pitt's stop ... Law firm visited by Brad
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“You don’t expect to see Brad Pitt in Hall Green.
“There’s only a few kebab houses and a dog track around here, it’s a million miles away from Beverley Hills.”
The Fight Club star turned up out of the blue at Warwick Solicitors, Stratford Road, to catch up with Mohammed Hussain, the firm’s owner, who also counts Mike Tyson, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and boxing legend Joe Egan as personal friends.
Dad-of-one Mr Hussain, 42, first became acquainted with Pitt when working as part of the security entourage on Guy Ritchie film Snatch, where the two quickly became friends.
“He’s a lovely guy,” said the solicitor, “one of the most humble men you could meet.
“He loves Britain and he’s been in Harrod's every other day shopping for the kids.
“It was a surprise (he came), it was out of the blue.
“The last time I saw him was in Cannes a couple of years ago.
“We don’t publicise things like this. It’s a friendship thing more than anything.”
Mr Hussain said Pitt was in the office for around 20 minutes and posed with staff for a group photograph.
An eye-witness to the visit, who asked not to be named, said he was shocked when he saw Pitt emerge from a luxury car flanked by half-a-dozen minders.
“I’d just finished work and thought ‘bloody hell I don’t believe this,” he said.
“You don’t expect to see Brad Pitt in Hall Green."
Despite the unexpected appearance, Mr Hussain said his friendship with Pitt, and other celebrities, didn’t phase him and that it was possible to be friends with anyone.
Heavyweight boxing legend ‘Big’ Joe Egan, is also a client of Mr Hussain’s, but said the solicitor was more of a friend.
He told The Birmingham Mail: “I wish I had Mo in my corner when I was still in the ring, he’s been in my corner so many times out of it.
“He’s a fantastic guy.
“He doesn’t get phased by the fact they are celebrities, they are friends first and foremost.”
Mr Hussain's son Reece, 12, also keeps a level head when meeting his father’s celebrity friends and clients such as England’s Ashes heroes Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss.
The youngster said: “It’s really good to meet all these famous people.”
