production,  Pitt and Aronofsky were having major creative differences, so Pitt  left to film _Troy (2004)_ (qv) instead and the film was shut down.  In early 2004, with a smaller budget of $35 million, Aronofsky cast  Hugh Jackman (qv) as Tom and Rachel Weisz (qv) replaced  Blanchett as Izzi. Ironically, Pitt and Blanchett played a couple in  a film that was released just before this one (Babel)