Bradley Cooper stepped up his Hollywood game in a big way in 2011 when he gained credit as a producer on the feature film Limitless, but now it appears that he's ready to take his journey as a filmmaker one step further. Should negotiations be successful, he will soon be making his directorial debut, and it looks like he'll be doing so with a remake of A Star Is Born.
This news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which says that Cooper is now talking with Warner Bros. about the possibility of both starring in and taking the helm of the musical film. It's worth noting that the project has been in development for a number of years, and in that time many stars and filmmakers have come and gone (he was even rumored to be attached to headline the movie back in 2012). It looks like Cooper will be replacing Clint Eastwood on the film, which is interesting given that the two men just worked together on the Academy Award-winning American Sniper.
For those unfamiliar with the story, the original version of A Star Is Born from 1937 followed an aging male movie star (Fredric March) who discovers an aspiring actress (Janet Gaynor) and makes it his goal in life to see her become famous. Unfortunately, as she begins to find success, his life goes downhill fast, largely due to his alcoholism. George Cukor directed the 1954 remake starring James Mason and Judy Garland (who played a young actress and singer); and Frank Pierson made the 1976 version with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand (which went with aging rock star and aspiring singer instead of aging actor and aspiring actress).
At this time, there isn't anyone attached to play the female lead in the Star Is Born remake, though it was at one time a part that belonged to Beyonce. Unfortunately, her pregnancy in 2011 wound up delaying the project,and she ultimately left it completely behind about a year and a half later. Clint Eastwood wound up getting to make Jersey Boys as a instead. It's entirely possible that this experience satiated his desire to make a musical, which led to him passing the reigns to Bradley Cooper.
Exactly when Cooper will find to make A Star Is Born is questionable. This summer he'll likely be doing promotion for his role as the lead in Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy Aloha, and he has roles in both the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and David O. Russell's Joy. Of course, if he's really passionate about becoming a director, he may put aside all other commitments past those so that he can have the experience of making his own feature film. We'll see how it develops.
