Brad Pitt has pulled out of a pay or play deal on State of Play, putting the Universal Pictures drama in a state of flux, according to Variety.

Pitt bowed out of the film early Wednesday, following two weeks of struggle and meetings with director Kevin Macdonald that prevented the film from making its original Nov. 15 production start date.

The studio will try to find a star to replace Pitt. If Universal doesn't recast and get the picture going by Nov. 29, it will begin losing the other actors in the film.

Pitt was set to star with Edward Norton, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Robin Wright Penn in the Matthew Michael Carnahan-scripted adaptation of the British miniseries. Pitt was playing a politico-turned-journalist who spearheads a newspaper's investigation of a murder, a trail that leads to the fast-rising pol whose campaigns were once masterminded by Pitt's character.

If the studio cannot recast the film, it is possible that Universal can bring a lawsuit against Pitt for bailing out of a pay or play deal.

State of Play was released April 17th, 2009 and stars Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Michael Berresse. The film is directed by Kevin Macdonald.