UPDATE: Billy Bob Thornton apparently isn't revisiting his wild and raucous past after all.
Thornton has now officially denied reports that certain elements of "And Then We Drove," a road movie he's co-writing with longtime writing partner Tom Epperson, are inspired by his relationship with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Variety broke the news on Monday, but Thornton has now told Vulture that he doesn't know where the information came from.
"We have no idea. My manager told me this last night. He’s Angelina’s manager, too. He goes, 'You didn’t say any of this, did you?' And I said, 'The only press I’ve done was this press conference, and you were there. Everyone heard what I said at the press conference.' I mean, I was asked about Angelina because her film was playing here, if I’m gonna see her and I said, 'I hope so' or something like that."
Thornton was asked if he thinks Jolie would be upset if he actually did make a movie about her.
"I would never do it," he responded. "I would never make a movie about my best friend, either, or any other ex of mine, or something. That’s not my bag. I don’t mind exposing myself, but I'm certainly not gonna make a movie about someone else."
So ... did "And Then We Drove" suddenly get a lot less interesting, or is it just us?
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Billy Bob Thornton is kicking it into high gear and burning rubber into his wild and raucous past.
The "Bad Santa" star is set to direct, co-write and star in "And Then We Drove," a film inspired in part by his well-documented and rambunctious relationship with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, according to Variety.
Thornton himself describes the film as "ethereal," with the basic premise being about "a guy who's on a road trip and picks up this girl along the way, and what happens to them. It's about the question of life: 'What is this? Where do I fit in?'"
We can imagine the Thornton-Jolie marriage, which lasted from May 5, 2000 through May 27, 2003, was chock full of such existential crises and ponderings -- definitely the stuff of an "inspired by" drama if not a tell-all expose.
Thornton will co-pen the script with his longtime writing partner, Tom Epperson, with the first draft set to be delivered in March. Filming will commence later this year all across the U.S. with stops in Los Angeles, the South and the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.
Billy Bob Thornton was most recently heard as the voice of Jack in "Puss in Boots" and will next be seen in "Jayne Mansfield's Car," which is making its debut this week at the Berlin Film Festival. His Willie Nelson documentary, "The King of Luck," is currently seeking distribution.
Originally published on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 at 8:43 p.m. ET.
