The divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt has gone on for years and despite the two being legally separated it seems likely that the war over child custody as well as the battle over the fate of a winery the two owned together and nowhere near seeing an end. However, now it appears the winery may not be the only business to change hands, as Brad Pitt’s production company could reportedly also change hands.
Brad Pitt started Plan B in 2001 with, somewhat ironically, his then wife, Jennifer Anniston. When they divorced, Pitt took over the company himself. Deadline is now reporting that the company is, at the very least, looking for new investors, but that it is also open to the possibility of a sale. There are apparently some interested parties, but nothing has progressed past the exploratory stage yet.
It’s unclear why Plan B is looking for investors at this time. Pitt's production company has been remarkably successful in recent years, putting out Oscar winners like 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight. This year it’s behind the Marilyn Monroe inspired Blonde, which has thrown star Ana de Armas onto the shortlist for a potential Best Actress nomination, as well as She Said, the movie about former producer Harvey Weinstein and the accusations of sexual assault that led to his going to prison.
If Brad Pitt is entertaining the idea of a sale then it seems he’s at least willing to walk away from producing movies. Even a new investor would lessen Pitt’s authority within the organization, which may be what he’s looking for. Pitt has spoken in the past about possible retirement and the fact that there are other things he likes doing, he recently debuted his work as a ceramic artist, so he may just be looking to focus on other things in life right now.
It’s also possible that Pitt’s desire to find an investor or a buyer for his company is that he needs some money because of ongoing legal battles. Angelina Jolie has continued to fight Pitt over custody of their minor children. Separate from the divorce Pitt has sued Jolie over her sale of her share of the winery they own together, claiming he was not properly consulted on the sale. Jolie has also sued Pitt over what she claims is his attempts to force her out of the winery.
Whatever the reason, it looks like Brad Pitt will at least have a partner in his production company going forward. In the end, perhaps that will be a good thing that will help the company succeed even more. If nothing else, the success that Plan B has had likely makes it a very valuable production company. Whoever wants to buy it will probably be spending a lot of money to do so.
