Brad Pitt is being touted as close to joining Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter, the film from Darren Aronofsky, and would be replacing the character which was formerly going to be played by Matt Damon.

According to scheduling issues Matt Damon can't appear in the film as he just had too many projects on the go, and so Brad Pitt was the next choice.

The film is about the life of Irish boxer Mickey Ward and his half-brother who also trained him, Dick Ecklund. The story will follow their early lives, Ecklund's drug battle, their struggles to grow up in the rough streets of Lowell in Massachusetts, Ward's early career, retirement for three years and then return to the ring and the eventual World Championship fight. You can read more about the man over at Wikipedia.

The Fighter is being directed by Darren Aronofsky who, according to Variety, is just finishing off the final touches on the script before go ahead, and with Damon out Pitt would be taking the role of Ward's half-brother and trainer, Dick Eclund with Mark Wahlberg taking the lead of Mickey Ward himself.

It sounds like a powerful film and a great role for Wahlberg, I think now it'll be even harder for him playing alongside Pitt. I just hope he doesn't overplay the role as I think he has sometimes done.