On Friday, we reported on People Magazine’s interview excerpt from Stern, in which Brad Pitt allegedly said Tom Cruise Hitler-assassination film Valkyrie was “a ridiculous movie”. Within hours, it seems one of Brad’s reps contacted a few outlets and claimed that the statement was a misquote. A spokesman said, “Brad has never seen Valkyrie so this is not accurate.” Xenu got angry, and Brad succumbed. Either that, or it really was a misquote. It didn’t really sound like Brad, in my opinion. Throughout the years of Tom Cruise acting crazy, Brad has never said anything negative about Tom, so it did seem weird. I saw Valkyrie, and it was a strange movie. I wouldn’t call it ridiculous… just strange. The accents were all over the place. It’s maybe Bill Nighy’s worst acting jobs, he’s totally phoning it in.

Brad’s weird, random promotion of Inglourious Basterds did the trick at the box office though – Basterds made $37.6 million in America, and another $27.5 million overseas. Guess who’s taking credit? Harvey Weinstein, the executive producer. He needed a hit movie, and Pitt and Tarantino delivered. The media strategy for this film was so weird, I’m not even sure how it worked so well. Maybe people were just excited about seeing Pitt work with Tarantino, and everything else was just icing on the cake?

In one last piece of Brad Pitt-related news, the Mirror is reporting that the entire purchase and renovation of the Jolie-Pitt French chateau will cost around 45 million pounds – about $70 million. The numbers are a little screwy in this report – I think they’re saying that the purchase was one thing, and then Brad’s renovating the place to the tune of ten million pounds:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are spending £45million transforming a French chateau into a dream home for themselves and their six children. The Hollywood golden couple have completed the £35million purchase of 17th-Century Chateau Miraval, set on a 1,000-acre estate in Provence. Now they plan to splash out £10million more turning the pile into the “love nest of all love nests”.

They have applied to renovate all THIRTY-FIVE bedrooms to give them a “contemporary feel”. They want to add jacuzzis, steam rooms and a spa, and to install a new gym, an expanded wine cellar – and even a motorbike track for Brad, 45. They also plan to improve its helicopter landing facilities, so they can fly in and out with their children – Maddox, seven, Pax, five, four-yearold Zahara, and biological daughter Shiloh, three, and their year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

“We’re trying to spend more time in the South of France, because our kids have a more normal life there,” Inglourious Basterds star Brad said earlier this month. But the hunky star also admitted he’s still struggling to master the language.

Security around the house will be improved hugely, to include a surveillance centre, spy cameras, alarms, and infra-red sensors. Some work has started, while more complicated renovations still need to be agreed by the local council.

Jean-Claude Sadion, mayor of the nearby town of Correns, said: “The application has been received for widespread work on their new house, and we are delighted that they will be here more permanently. They are a wonderful couple with beautiful children and we will hold a civic reception to honour them.”

Brad and 34-year-old Angelina, who met on the set of 2005 movie Mr And Mrs Smith, have reportedly had a string of bitter rows and spent much of their time apart recently.
But now the pair and their children are set to start afresh at the home which they have rented from a rich businessman for the last year.

A local property developer said: “They want to make sure this very romantic property becomes the love nest of all love nests. Brad is looking into local schools for the kids, and both he and Angelina are improving their French.”

Brad and Angelina flew from Los Angeles into nearby Marseilles on July 29 to inspect the start of the renovation work, and are keen to have security measures in place as soon as possible.

The couple looked at around 100 properties before settling on the Miraval. It comes with a vineyard, swimming pool, moat, lake and forest, and a three-mile long driveway up to the main house. The cascading stone-walled terraces have been replanted with 13 different varieties of olives, and there are 20 fountains and aqueducts.

Near-neighbour Christophe Meer said: “It’s very beautiful. You couldn’t find a better place to ensure a bit of romance in your life.”

The globe-trotting couple will split their time between France and their homes in California and New Orleans. Close friends with homes nearby include U2 stars Bono and The Edge, plus fellow actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis.

[From the Daily Mirror]

God, Brad has never met a property he doesn’t want to spend millions of dollars renovating. That would drive me up the wall, but I’m sure that just the sort of thing that relaxes him. Brad and Angelina are currently vacationing at the chateau for an unknown period of time. They even bought some “gerbilles” for their sons. I want them to get a cat. Maybe there’s already some sleepy housecat that came with the house, though.

Photos via AllMoviePhoto