Bradley Cooper is closing in on nabbing a starring role in Clint Eastwood’s next directorial project, “The Mule,” a person familiar with the project told TheWrap.
Cooper would star alongside Eastwood, who is returning to the screen for his first acting gig since “Trouble With the Curve” in 2012. The two last worked together on the 2014 Oscar-nominated film “American Sniper.”
Warner Bros. and Imperative Entertainment will co-produce the film.
Eastwood is also producing via his Malpaso banner, along with Imperative’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas.
“The Mule” is based on the true life story of 90-year-old drug courier Leo Sharp, who was an award-winning horticulturist and decorated WWII veteran.
In “The Mule,” Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive–easy enough but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel, and also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates.
Cooper has been looking for his next project as he wraps up putting the finishing touches on his directorial debut, “A Star Is Born.” The four-time Oscar nominee is set to follow that debut up with another directing gig for the Leonard Bernstein biopic “Bernstein,” in which he also plans to star.
Cooper is repped by CAA.
Variety was first to report that Cooper is in talks for the project.