After making Warner Bros. a boatload of money with “American Sniper,” Bradley Cooper is in negotiations to direct a modern take on “A Star Is Born” for the studio, an individual with knowledge of the project has told TheWrap.
Cooper will produce through his WB-based company 22 Green along with Jon Peters, Billy Gerber and Basil Iwanyk.
Clint Eastwood was previously attached to direct, and he had courted Cooper and Beyonce to star. The beloved singer has been WB’s top target ever since, though the project languished after Eastwood’s “empty chair” incident.
Cooper, who is expected to cast himself as the male lead, will begin working with Will Fetters on the script once he wraps “The Elephant Man” on Broadway.
The story will follow a fading movie star who helps a young actress find fame and fortune as alcohol hastens his own demise.
The original 1937 film starred Fredric March and Janet Gaynor, while WB’s 1954 remake starred James Mason and Judy Garland. The most recent version, released in 1976, starred Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand.
Cooper has been planning to step behind the camera for years, developing “Honeymoon With Harry” with writer Dan Fogelson as a starring vehicle for himself and frequent co-star Robert De Niro.
Warner Bros. has had success with actors-turned-directors, with Ben Affleck‘s “Argo” winning Best Picture. The studio is also releasing Ryan Gosling‘s “Lost River” next month.