Bradley Cooper to Direct and Possibly Star in ‘A Star Is Born’ Remake With Beyonce
It was recently reported that Bradley Cooper has been looking to make his directorial debut, and although it was rumored that his first project would be Honeymoon With Harry, Cooper’s first film might be something different — and a little more exciting. Cooper is eyeing the long-gestating remake of A Star Is Born featuring none other than Queen Beyoncé herself.
Deadline reports that Cooper is in talks with Warner Bros. to helm the remake, which Clint Eastwood was previously circling (perhaps not coincidentally?). Beyoncé was interested in starring in the film back when Eastwood was interested in directing it, and given the right director, she could still very well commit. The report notes that the pop icon hasn’t been “re-approached formally” yet.
There have been three previous film adaptations of A Star Is Born, including the 1954 version directed by George Cukor, starring Judy Garland and James Mason; and the more popular 1976 version with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand. Like Garland and Streisand before her, Beyoncé has the star power and outstanding vocal talent to portray the role of the ambitious starlet who receives the help of a self-destructive, has-been rock star to launch her career.
Cooper is coming off an Oscar nomination for his leading performance in Eastwood’s American Sniper, and it was Eastwood who first sought Cooper for the leading role in A Star Is Born. The remake has previously attracted Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Christian Bale for the same part, while Beyoncé’s name has been mentioned in relation to the project for almost as long as it’s been in development. Could this be the film that gets Beyoncé back on the big screen for the first time since 2009's disappointing Obsessed? Let’s hope so.