Angelina Jolie 'Bugs' As Brad Pitt Flourishes Amid Bitter £52m Winery Battle: Report

Brad Pitt is reportedly on the verge of a historic $100 million (£78m) payday as his blockbuster F1 franchise accelerates, while ex-wife Angelina Jolie remains locked in a gruelling legal battle over their French estate.

While the former couple's divorce was finalised in late 2024, the ghost of their marriage continues to haunt the corridors of the Los Angeles Superior Court. The £52m Château Miraval winery dispute has now entered its fourth year of active litigation, with the latest filings revealing a strategic move by Pitt to target the billionaire buyer of Jolie's shares.

As of now, the contrast between the two stars' trajectories is stark. Pitt is enjoying a late-career surge following the massive success of his 2025 racing epic, while Jolie is reportedly navigating 'astronomical' legal fees and a shift in her traditional Hollywood earning power.

Brad Pitt F1 Sequel Fuels Record-Breaking Payday

The speed at which Pitt's career is moving has been described by industry insiders as 'mind-boggling'. Following the critical and commercial triumph of F1, which secured four Academy Award nominations and grossed over $630 million, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has officially confirmed that a sequel is in development.

Sources claim Pitt is now closing in on a two-film deal worth $100 million, a figure that would cement his status as one of the world's most bankable leading men. This financial windfall reportedly 'bugs' Jolie, who has had to be more cautious with her expenditures despite her own significant wealth. While Pitt continues to pay child support for their younger children, the emotional score-settling of the Miraval legal war remains the primary engine of their ongoing feud.

The Yuri Shefler Deposition: A New Front In The War

The legal machinery behind the winery case grew significantly firmer this month. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Pitt has asked a judge to compel Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler to sit for a remote deposition.

Shefler is the chairman of the Stoli Group, the firm that purchased Jolie's 50 per cent stake in Château Miraval for a reported $67 million in 2021. Pitt's legal team argues that Shefler was a central figure in the transaction and must be questioned to prove that Jolie breached a 'mutual understanding' not to sell without consent. The Stoli Group lawsuit hinges on whether the sale was an act of 'vindictive' litigation, as Pitt's side alleges, or a necessary exit from a property Jolie claims was the site of family trauma.

Angelina Jolie Maria Film And The Search For Balance

While Pitt films the psychological thriller Brad Pitt The Riders in Greece, Jolie has focused on prestige projects. Her performance in the 2024 biopic Maria Callas, Maria, earned her a Maltin Modern Master Award and widespread critical praise.

However, reports suggest her era of routinely commanding $15 million upfront fees has faded in favour of smaller, arthouse productions. The Angelina Jolie Maria film is seen as a creative triumph, but the financial strain of the winery case continues to loom. Jolie's legal team has previously highlighted the 'burdensome nature' of the discovery process, particularly after a judge ordered her to surrender 22 private documents and unredacted communications in late 2025.

Emotional Toll And The 2027 Trial Date

Away from the balance sheets, the human cost of the conflict is undeniable. Pitt is reportedly estranged from most of his children, who have largely dropped the 'Pitt' surname from their public identities. This personal distance contrasts sharply with his expansive life with partner Brad Pitt Ines de Ramon, who has joined him on location in Athens.

As this 2026 celebrity news story continues to unfold, a trial date has been set for February 2027. Despite rumours of a potential settlement to 'put the whole lawsuit to bed', neither side has yet blinked. For now, Château Miraval remains a beautiful, 1,200-acre symbol of a union that has taken ten years to dismantle, and shows no sign of finishing quietly.