Pitt replaces Damon in 'The Fighter' (THR, VAR)

By Nancy Vialatte

Brad Pitt is negotiating to take over for Matt Damon in Darren Aronofsky�s for "The Fighter" for Paramount. The film, announced earlier this year, is a drama based on the life of boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund. Mark Wahlberg is in as Ward while Damon had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. It is believed Damon gave his blessing to Pitt, his "Ocean's Eleven" film series co-star.

Variety notes that the most notable aspect of the film is that it would team Pitt with Aronofsky, with whom he was to have made "The Fountain" in 2002. Pitt pulled out of that movie during preproduction, effectively killing it until Aronofsky resurrected it in 2005 with Hugh Jackman at half the previous budget.

�The Fighter� spans several decades and chronicles the brothers� early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Mass., through Eklund's battle with drugs and Ward's eventual world championship in London. Scott Silver is rewriting the script.

As the Hollywood Reporter notes, with the exception of Pitt, all of the pic's principals have Boston ties. Wahlberg hails from South Boston. Aronofsky graduated from Harvard, while Silver is from Massachusetts and went to Boston U. The Boston-bred Damon would have rounded out the local crowd.

David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing through their Mandeville Films shingle.

Paramount is eyeing "Fighter" for a fall 2008 shoot.