The friendship came to pass because Angelina's boyfriend, Brad Pitt, who is also one of the film's producers, believed that Angelina and Mariane should meet so that Angelina could learn Mariane's accent. An insider told Life & Style Weekly, "Brad felt if he was going to make this movie, it was really important that Angelina and Mariane became friends and started to understand each othe…he feels really lucky that they hit it off because the movie just couldn't have happened if they hadn't…Brad says he's overjoyed that everyone has hit it off so well, and he says Maddox has a friend for life in Mariane's young son, Adam."

The source claims that the threesome has become quite close. "It's a special friendship that comes with a lot of perks. Mariane has traveled frequently on Brad Pitt's plane, and she and Angelina talk about everything together, not just the movie…Even though it took Danny Pearl's death to bring everyone together like this. Brad, Angelina and Mariane are all determined to keep this friendship healthy and really make a difference in the world while they're at it."