Earlier this month it was announced that Cary Fukunaga (True Detective, Jane Eyre) will direct Jake Gyllenhaal in The American, a biopic of Leonard Bernstein, and now comes word from Deadline of a competing project, Bernstein, which will see Bradley Cooper taking on the role of the celebrated composer.
In addition to starring as the composer, whose credits include West Side Story and On the Waterfront, Cooper will direct the film, as well as writing the screenplay with Josh Singer (Spotlight). It will mark Cooper’s second directorial feature after the upcoming remake of A Star Is Born, which is slated for release in October.
Bernstein is being produced by Cooper, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, with the latter two both expressing interest in directing at one point or another. The project has also secured an exclusive rights deal with Bernstein’s estate, which grants them exclusive access to his songs and life rights.
In addition to A Star Is Born, Cooper is attached to star in the underwater thriller Deeper alongside Gal Gadot, as well as the World War II thriller Atlantic Wall from director Gavin O’Connor.
