Brad Pitt inks deal with Netflix for "War Machine" release
Netflix has made its biggest movie purchase yet with the acquisition of Brad Pitt's military comedy, "War Machine," slated for a 2016 release.
The online streaming service announced Monday that it has taken up the distribution rights to the David Michod-directed satirical drama starring Pitt as a four-star U.S. general, a fictionalized version of the real Gen. Stanley McChrystal, determined to win the war in Afghanistan.
The acquisition is a big one for Netflix and its director of content acquisitions Ted Sarandos, whose previous big moves brought in "House of Cards" and a four-movie contract with Adam Sandler. But "War Machine" is its heftiest investment to date -- reportedly in the $30 million range -- and heftiest in A-list star power, too. Netflix also has partnered with Pitt's Plan B Productions to collaborate on the movie's packaging and distribution.
The film, which is expected to drop into theaters in 2016 and immediately be available for download on Netflix, is based on the bestselling book "The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan," by the late journalist Michael Hastings.