That’s not an error in the headline — there was a version of “Moneyball” that was going to be directed by Steven Soderbergh. The abridged story is that Soderbergh’s movie was just days away from starting filming when the studio pulled the plug and suddenly panicked about the picture. Soderbergh’s take on the data-driven baseball drama would’ve featured real-life players, but there was second-guessing from Sony about the kind of film they wanted. So the movie was put on ice, given a rewrite by Aaron Sorkin, and revived a year later with Bennett Miller directing and Brad Pitt remaining in the lead role. However, one casualty of the project as it transitioned from Soderbergh to Miller was Demetri Martin, who was replaced by Jonah Hill, who went on to earn an Oscar nod for his performance.
The comedian and actor moved on, and has his directorial debut “Dean” opening next week. And chatting with The Inverse, he breaks down how his exit from “Moneyball” happened.
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“I had a great two-hour meeting with Steven Soderbergh, and I found out the next day that I got the part,” he said. “I was thrilled. I was going to be in a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh, who I have great respect for, and Brad Pitt! I got my hair cut next to Brad in the trailer, we were going over our characters, talking about how this was going to work. That was a Thursday. Friday, I get a call before we get to the set.”
Martin was initially informed that the director and studio were having some problems, but that it was all going to be sorted out. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. Martin never sat in a trailer with Pitt again.
“New script, new director a year later, and of course, I wasn’t in the movie,” Martin said. “The part that was close to my part was what Jonah Hill ended up playing. It was going to be this two-hander with me and Brad Pitt, and it didn’t happen.”
Martin turned to other projects and kept plenty busy, but admits that missing what would’ve been a huge break in his career wasn’t easy. “My friends are on billboards and stuff; you live out there [in L.A.], and it does mess with your head,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s not happening for me.’ So then I try to start over and try to climb my way back.”
That journey continues with “Dean,” and with a Netflix comedy special he’ll be filming in December.
