Brad Pitt hooked Steve McQueen to slave drama during late-night wine session

Brad Pitt likes doing late-night business during fine wine sessions after confessing he and director Steve Mcqueen plotted their new movie 12 Years A Slave while knocking back bottles of Burgundy.

Quentin Tarantino persuaded Pitt to take the lead in his Inglourious Basterds over a few bottles and now Pitt appears to have adopted the boozy scheme to size up film partners.

He tells The Hollywood Reporter of his first meeting with artist-turned-moviemaker McQueen, "We met in London over a couple of bottles of wine and ended up talking until the wee hours of the night (sic) about art and history."

Pitt, who produced 12 Years a Slave through his Plan B company, has a cameo in the film.

His choice of director appears to have paid off - the hard-hitting film is hotly tipped to land an Oscar nomination.