Moneyball to be made into a movie

[FiddySicks]

I came across this while searching for a copy of the book.

This from Wikipedia:

It was announced a movie is set to come out in 2011 based on the book. Actor Brad Pitt is attached to play Billy Beane, while comedian Jonah Hill is attached to play Paul DePodesta.[3] Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steve Zaillian has been signed to write the script, and Steven Soderbergh will direct (replacing David Frankel). "I want you to not realize how much information is being thrown at you," says Soderbergh, when asked how he was going to make a film based on statistics entertaining. "We've found a couple of ideas on how to bust the form a bit, in order for all that information to reach you in a way that's a little oblique[5]." Scott Hatteberg, David Justice, and Art Howe will play themselves in the movie.

On June 22, 2009, because of conflicts over a revised script by director Soderbergh, Sony put the movie on hold just days before it was scheduled to begin shooting.[7] Soderbergh's script called for interviews of real-life players and other methods untraditional to sports movies. As a result, Soderbergh was let go.

Definitely excited to see how they'll set this one up, but I probably shouldn't be considering how bad they messed up the blindside.

[The_Admiral]

They should've made this movie before everyone realized Oakland's success had more to do with steroids than exploitation of market inefficiencies, but hey.

[floydnimrod]

I've heard this movie has been canceled and put back on so many times, but really, how are they going to end the movie? It's not like they won a title or anything.

And I'm upset Jonah Hill has been cast as Paul DePodesta, Demetri Martin originally had the role.

[STL FANATIC]

They should've made this movie before everyone realized Oakland's success had more to do with steroids than exploitation of market inefficiencies, but hey.

Moneyball's a sham and hasn't led to any legitimate or consistent success at any point. But I think your steroids line garbage. Certainly it existed. They had Giambi and Tejada, but were they really more juiced up than anybody else?

The truth is, those teams were pretty good because they had a then stud tandem of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito.

[Sport]

I loved Moneyball, but I read it in 2005. By 2008 Billy Beane's genius was out-dated and so was the book, so a movie about a cheap baseball team that was "kinda good" in 2001, and 2002 isn't going to have much of an impact in 2011. Sabremetrics makes sense and I wouldn't say it hasn't led to any legimate success but I agree in thinking that those A's teams incredible success at that time had more to do with getting lucky with Zito, Mulder, and Hudson than it did with Billy Beane getting players that were good at taking walks.

Also, Jonah Hill is a bad cast. Paul DePodesta is a physically fit and intelligent Harvard graduate who's never had a sip of alcohol. I think Jonah Hill falls into the opposite of every one of those categories.

[The_Admiral]

a cheap baseball team that was "kinda good" in 2001, and 2002

That's 205 wins in two years. That's more than kinda good.

I think it's perfectly acceptable to consider steroids a big part of the Athletics' success in the Billy Beane era, just as steroids were an even bigger part of their success in the Tony La Russa era (i.e., they actually won pennants and a championship). Tejada and the Giambis are proven abusers, and given the odd ways that Oakland players have fallen apart (Zito, Mulder, Chavez, et al) after spending significant time in what's essentially the vector of steroids, everyone is fair game. It's too bad, because I read Moneyball in 2004 and loved the way they seemed to make it work.

[Sport]

a cheap baseball team that was "kinda good" in 2001, and 2002

That's 205 wins in two years. That's more than kinda good.

I know. I guess what I meant by that is that the movie going public (read: people who didn't read the book) is going to question why they're watching a movie about a team that never won the world series. In the public's eyes if you get to the playoffs, but don't win it all then you're only "kinda good".

[marlinfan]

They should've made this movie before everyone realized Oakland's success had more to do with steroids than exploitation of market inefficiencies, but hey.

Moneyball's a sham and hasn't led to any legitimate or consistent success at any point. But I think your steroids line garbage. Certainly it existed. They had Giambi and Tejada, but were they really more juiced up than anybody else?

The truth is, those teams were pretty good because they had a then stud tandem of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito.

If I took the best 3 players off the Cardinals or any other team would they be any good? Could I then say Tony LaRussa or Ozzie ball doesn't work?

I'd say 6 seasons of having a top 10 MLB squad is pretty consistent-- especially with the A's budget. Beane in the latter half of the 2000s consistently fielded one of the best defensive teams in the league. After the importance of OBP and the newer offensive stats were implemented by the FO's in the good old boys network, the market was no longer a deficiency and the A's moved on to exploiting the defensive market. The A's would have maintained their success longer had Eric Chavez and Rich Harden stayed healthy.

Since Moneyball came out, most MLB teams have hired statisticians to analyze and exploit market inefficiencies. For clubs such as the Rays, DBacks, Red Sox, Brewers and more recently the Mariners that is an integral part of how their front office operates.

[Brass]

Of course it's being made into a movie, because in Hollywood, making movies has two rules:

A.) MUST be a remake

B.) MUST be based off of a book or play

Gotta love the creativity!

[BaltimoreFan]

Also, Jonah Hill is a bad cast. Paul DePodesta is a physically fit and intelligent Harvard graduate who's never had a sip of alcohol. I think Jonah Hill falls into the opposite of every one of those categories.

I'm confused by this casting as well. I've never really seen Paul DePodesta, so I'm not really sure what he's like. However Demetri Martin seemed to fit the description pretty well. I think Martin would have done really well in this movie. Hill just seems like a completely different actor. Is DePodesta a funny guy? That may explain why two comedians were cast in his role. Demetri Martin seems to have a more "intelligent" type of comedy that would probably work better in this role.

[The_Admiral]

I think I've come across one picture of DePo, and as best I recall he is indeed the opposite of Jonah Hill. You might as well cast Paul Rudd as the memorably outwitted Kenny Williams.

[marlinfan]

[The_Admiral]

Bob Saget would've been perfect for the role ten years ago.

[marlinfan]

Olsen twins could have been Bar Groupie #1 and Girlfriend Who Has Too Much Control Over the Potential 1st Round Pick Who Billy Skips Over #1.

[Gothamite]

Of course it's being made into a movie, because in Hollywood, making movies has two rules:

A.) MUST be a remake

B.) MUST be based off of a book or play

Gotta love the creativity!

You're right. Why can't we have the Hollywood of Old, when they were making movies like The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, The Maltese Falcon, The Grapes of Wrath, The Sound of Music....

[NJTank]

Of course it's being made into a movie, because in Hollywood, making movies has two rules:

A.) MUST be a remake

B.) MUST be based off of a book or play

Gotta love the creativity!

You're right. Why can't we have the Hollywood of Old, when they were making movies like The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, The Maltese Falcon, The Grapes of Wrath, The Sound of Music....

Actually I hear Tim Burton is working on a new version of the Wizard of Oz staring Lady Gaga as Dorothy, Johnny Deep as the Tin Man, Johnny Weir as the Scarecrow, and Will Ferrell as the Cowardly Lion.

Meanwhile there is also going to be a Gone With the Wing Remake staring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Also coming soon to a theater near you Yo Hear the Music a Hip Hop remake of the Sound of Music and Flight of the Maltese Falcon a science fiction remake of the Maltese Falcon taking place on the Moon.

[The_Admiral]

Johnny Deep

This has to be a porn star by now.

[BrySmalls]

Johnny Deep

This has to be a porn star by now.

[Jigga]

Johnny Deep

This has to be a porn star by now.

Not quite, the porn "star" actually goes by the name of Johnny Depth.

[DEAD!]

The irony of this movie is the budget will be greater than the A's payroll...