While his custody battle with Angelina Jolie, 42, drags on, Brad Pitt is doing what he can to stay close to his six kids — including staying close to home! An insider reveals to Life & Style that the World War Z star is now being self conscious and picking roles close to home!

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“Brad is determined to spend as much time as possible with his children,” the source says. “He’s specifically working on movie projects based in California so he can be near them.” Brad, 53, is currently producing the movie Backseat and producing and starring in Ad Astra, both of which are filming in Santa Clarita, just north of LA. That keeps him available to co-parent Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 9. But this doesn’t mean he’ll never work outside Cali again. “It’s temporary,” the insider notes, “while his kids adjust to their new lifestyle.”

As Life & Style previously revealed Angelina is using the kids as pawns against Brad. “Brad knows he can’t count on scheduled days with the kids,” an insider says, “because Angie has changed the plans abruptly at the last minute multiple times.” Brad “feels Angie isn’t ready to let go” of that hostility but knows there is nothing he could do without him jeopardizing losing his children.

“There are two choices for Brad,” explains the insider. “Fight back and get angry every time she pulls a stunt, which would only impact the kids, or handle it like a mature adult. If that means he won’t see the kids as much or at the holidays, he has made peace with it.”