Angelina Jolie has long spoken of leaving Hollywood for London once her youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, turn 18—marked on her calendar as July 2026. But recent moves by ex-husband Brad Pitt may be throwing a wrench in that plan. Pitt’s production company, Plan B, is opening a London base with British exec Ed Macdonald at the helm. According to insiders, Jolie is now “reconsidering” some of her relocation strategy. Family, film, custody, and real estate are all entangled—Hollywood style.
What Brad Pitt Just Did: Plan B Europe Takes London
Brad Pitt’s company Plan B, co-founded with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, has announced the launch of Plan B Europe under the Mediawan umbrella. The European arm will be based in London and led by Ed Macdonald, known for his work on Baby Reindeer. The goal: produce more premium TV series and film content across the UK and Europe, tapping into incentives, co-productions, and local talent.2Variety+2
This move signals a deliberate expansion. London is being promoted as “a bridge between the American and European industries,” part of a trend of studios broadening their global footprint amid changing tax laws, cultural demand, and streaming competition. Financial Times+2TM Broadcast International+2
Angelina Jolie’s Plan: Long-Term Move, Custody Constraints, Estate Sale
Angelina Jolie has said in multiple interviews that she plans to leave Los Angeles once Knox and Vivienne turn 18 in summer 2026. She’s expressed desire for privacy, peace, and a life less centered in Hollywood. But she’s been constrained by custody arrangements, presumably requiring her to remain in LA while the twins are minors. RadarOnline+3InStyle+3HELLO!+3
To prepare, Jolie has reportedly been putting her $24.5 million Los Feliz estate on the market, making improvements, and scoping out locations abroad. London has been a longtime named possibility—favored by her children, insiders say. But her plan hasn’t been ironed out completely, and other European cities had been considered in earlier years. HELLO!+3RadarOnline+3Риэлтор+3
Why Pitt’s London Move Might Give Jolie Pause
Here are how Pitt’s and Jolie’s agendas intersect—and potentially clash:
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Overlap in geography and markets. Pitt’s new London office means that the production infrastructure Jolie might have hoped to tap into will now partially be configured by her ex-husband’s enterprise. If Jolie moves to London seeking fresh creative offerings or European production advantages, she may now be sharing some of the “territory.”
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Competition for talent, visibility, influence. In London, creatives, funding bodies, actors—all will start looking at which companies control what. Plan B Europe entering that space could mean Jolie will have to negotiate differently for her projects, or potentially face higher competition for the same resources.
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Custody and real estate complications. Selling her LA estate seems logical if she leaves, but Pitt’s own real estate moves (he recently acquired a Hollywood Hills property) suggest he is maintaining a U.S. base. The logistics of her move will have to juggle children’s needs, legal constraints, and what she wants vs what is feasible. RadarOnline+1
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Image, autonomy, and public narrative. Jolie has long been cast (by herself and media) as someone seeking a life less tethered to Hollywood. Pitt expanding in London could muddy that story—will it look like she’s reacting to his moves, or forging her own path? Celebrity culture loves a narrative of autonomy.
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie in By the Sea (2015) 🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSMg3DBeSZ
— MEJE ✪ (@callmeMEJE) August 27, 2025
What We Know: Dates, Names & Legal Constraints
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The twins, Knox and Vivienne, are currently 17 and will turn 18 in July 2026. They are the key to Jolie’s plan for full mobility. RadarOnline+2InStyle+2
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Custody agreements reportedly restrict her ability to permanently relocate away from Los Angeles while minors. She often says she’s in LA “because I have to be here from a divorce.” People.com+2InStyle+2
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Her current LA estate, purchased in 2017, is historic, massive, and has been undergoing prep work for listing. She wants to sell it when the timing is right. InStyle+2Риэлтор+2
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Pitt’s Plan B Europe is led by Ed Macdonald, formerly of Clerkenwell Films. His involvement signals serious intent. screendaily.com+1
Jolie’s Options: What She Could Do Next
Given the developments, here are possible paths Jolie might take:
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Stick to the original plan but adjust expectations. She could still move to London, but more gradually—perhaps spending parts of the year abroad, maintaining LA ties for children’s schooling, filming, and legal obligations.
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Choose a different European base. If she perceives that Pitt’s Plan B presence changes London’s creative economy (for better or worse), she might opt for another city—Portugal, France, or somewhere less crowded. She has reportedly looked at several locations. RadarOnline+1
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Leverage Plan B Europe collaboration. Perhaps she finds ways to work with Plan B Europe, co-productions or joint projects, turning what might have been competition into partnership.
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Delay move or redefine “move.” “Move” may mean not fully relocating, but creating multiple bases—I.e., London & LA, or Europe & US—depending on film and family schedules.
What This Reflects About Celebrity Life & Family
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Custody shapes geography. For many celebrity parents, what they do or where they live is not just about desire, but also what legal agreements permit. Jolie’s plan has always been delayed by legal and parental constraints.
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Public plans are rarely static. Jolie’s statements about relocating were always contingent—on her kids turning 18, legal logistics, etc. Pitt’s new moves are altering the landscape, as they often do in public-family scenarios.
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Corporate vs personal overlap. When both exes are high-profile in the same industry, their business choices ripple into each other’s lives. Production offices, company bases, public projects—they all affect image, opportunity, perception.
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Globalization of film/TV production. Pitt’s expansion is part of a broader industry trend: productions using European hubs for tax incentives, local talent, regulatory support. Jolie wanting to move abroad is consistent with creative people being more mobile. But having her ex also in that space means those global currents now have interpersonal undercurrents.
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Brad Pitt’s Plan B Launches European Arm With ‘Baby Reindeer’ Exec Ed Macdonald
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Variety – Mediawan’s Plan B to Plant Flag in London with Baby Reindeer Producer Ed Macdonald
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Televisual – Brad Pitt’s Plan B opens Europe arm with Baby Reindeer producer at helm
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RadarOnline – Jolie ‘rethinking’ London Move After Brad Pitt Opens Office
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InStyle – Angelina Jolie Is Reportedly Planning to Leave L.A. and Move Abroad
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People / Morningstar – Angelina Jolie Preparing Home Sale as Youngest Children Reach Adulthood
