Filmmaker Derek Cianfrance’s 2012 crime and family drama, “The Place Beyond The Pines,” starring Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Bradley Cooper, was one of our favorite films of 2012, but it almost didn’t happen. Or at least, it almost didn’t happen the way it was intended to.

In a recent IndieWire Screen Talk live at the New Directors/New Films festival, Cianfrance, who was there in attendance in a conversation as part of the festival, revealed that following some heavy script changes, Bradley Cooper tried to exit the ‘Pines’ movie at the last minute.

Continue reading Derek Cianfrance Says Bradley Cooper Almost Quit ‘Place Beyond The Pines’ Over Script Changes at The Playlist.

Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” is available on Netflix now and out in the world. Cooper’s second directorial effort, many heavy-hitting filmmakers seem to be going to bat for the film, including director Alfonso Cuaron and Steven Spielberg, though the latter may not be entirely a surprise given he is a producer on the film.

In a new In Conversation video discussion from Netflix, Spielberg joined Cooper for an illuminating 32-minute talk about “Maestro” and revealed a lot of the backstory of the project—primarily being that “Maestro,” a film about legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, was going to be something that he was going to direct initially.

Continue reading Steven Spielberg Says Bradley Cooper Chased ‘Maestro’ For “At Least” Seven Months Via Text Messages at The Playlist.

Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is clearly one of our finest actors (he’s been nominated ten times in total for various Best Acting and Best Supporting Actor turns). The actor, who has worked with many of the greats, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Jonathan Demme, etc. is also a very fine director. Washington has directed four feature-length efforts, “Antoine Fisher” (2002), “The Great Debaters” (2007), the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated “Fences”—arguably his biggest of all of them, nominated for Best Picture and winning Viola Davis the award for Best Supporting Actress—(2016) and “A Journal With Jordan,” a movie that kind of came and went in 2021.

Continue reading Spike Lee Tells Bradley Cooper Says Denzel Washington Is “Done” Directing In New 46 Minute Filmmaker Talk at The Playlist.

It looks like the movie business is finally back in full swing post-guild strikes. Deadline reports that Amazon/MGM won a high-priced bidding war for “Best Of Enemies,” a spy film starring Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale. It may as well be an “American Hustle” reunion.  Eric Warren Singer, scribe of the 2013 film with Cooper and Bale, is on board to pen “Best Of Enemies,” while “American Hustle” producer Charles Roven produces through Atlas Entertainment.

Continue reading ‘Best Of Enemies’: Bradley Cooper & Christian Bale To Star In New Spy Drama For Amazon Which Cooper May Direct at The Playlist.

Gone are the days of Bradley Cooper acting in a bunch of films over the course of the year. No comedies. No rom-coms. No action films. Outside of his semi-occasional voice work as Rocket Racoon for Marvel Studios, Cooper seems perfectly content with starring in his own films where he directs. And if “Maestro” is another awards season hit like “A Star is Born,” then you better believe that trend will continue.

Continue reading ‘The Hangover 4’: Bradley Cooper Says He Would Return To The Comedy Franchise In An “Instant” at The Playlist.

Is there a more anticipated film left on Netflix‘s 2023 release calendar than Bradley Cooper‘s “Maestro“? Cooper’s sophomore feature already had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, but it still needs to reach audiences. And before it does, it may be pertinent for moviegoers to brush up on their Leonard Bernstein knowledge. How about doing so with Deutsche Grammophone‘s original soundtrack album for “Maestro”?

Continue reading ‘Maestro – The Original Soundtrack Album’: Deutsch Grammophone’s Soundtrack For Bradley Cooper’s Biopic Releases Digitally On November 17 [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

Bradley Cooper arguably owes much of his recent success and directorial acclaim to Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood. Spielberg was going to direct “American Sniper,” but he passed on it, and Clint Eastwood made it into a massive hit for Cooper when he starred in the picture in 2014. Likewise, Eastwood was going to make “A Star Is Born,” he ultimately passed on it, and Cooper made his soaring directorial debut in 2018.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’ Trailer: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Epic Arrives In December With A Limited Nov Theatrical Release at The Playlist.

The SAG strike may be ongoing, but awards shows are figuring out ways to navigate around the strict union rules for awards contenders. The Gotham Awards will take place in a little over a month and with a deal nowhere in sight they have announced their first two honorees, “Maestro’s” Bradley Cooper and “Air’s” Ben Affleck. Two directors who also happen to star in their own films.

READ MORE: 18 Big Questions for the 2024 Oscars Season

Cooper will be handed the Icon & Creator Tribute while Affleck will receive the The Gotham Visionary Icon & Creator Tribute.

Continue reading Bradley Cooper & Ben Affleck Initial 2023 Gotham Awards Honorees at The Playlist.

And then there were three. Yes, the Best Actor Oscar for 2024 is seemingly a three-way race for the win between Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), and the almost billion-dollar bomber, Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”). And then things get much more interesting.

READ MORE: “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” are your 2024 Best Picture frontrunners…for now

The last two slots in this category are wide open.

Continue reading Best Actor Oscars 2024 Predictions And Contenders at The Playlist.

Before “Maestro” plunges into the sharp monochrome of its first chapter, Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein relays to a camera crew how he can still feel the presence of his wife within the walls and gardens of their beautiful countryside manor. “I miss her so much,” he says, the passage of time denounced by the sprawling maze of wrinkles that frames his youthful blue eyes. 

Venice Film Festival 2023: The 17 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

It is a poignant opening to Cooper’s attempt at chronicling the life of the multi-hyphenated artist, a man who tried his hand at many creative practices and succeeded in them all.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’ Review: Bradley Cooper Plays It A Little Too Safe With Undaring Leonard Bernstein Biopic [Venice] at The Playlist.

As Bradley Cooper‘s “Maestro” approaches its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, some have criticized the actor-director’s use of prosthetics to adapt more of a likeness to Leonard Bernstein. Certain critics have gone as far as to call the prosthetic nose Cooper wears for the film as anti-semitic. But IndieWire reports that Bernstein’s family is in Cooper’s corner and spoke out against those charges, going as far as saying that it breaks their hearts.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’: Leonard Bernstein’s Children Call Out Critiques Of Bradley Cooper’s Prosthetic Nose In Upcoming Film at The Playlist.

The SAG and WGA strikes threatened to really ruin the fall film festival season for a minute there. And while some films eventually did bail, not wanting to risk the idea of now acting talent there to promote it— “Challengers” and “Dune 2” for two examples—despite the challenges of promotion and worries around it, the 2023 fall film festival selections have been excellent at all of the festivals.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Epic Will Make Its North American Premiere At NYFF 2023 at The Playlist.

Can a relationship be art? “Maestro” offers a bold look at the complicated and compelling story of Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein; the new film delves into the legendary conductor’s life, focusing on his unique connection to Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. Through it all, they found a way to support one another in a world judgemental of anything that didn’t fit the period’s societal norms.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’ Trailer:  Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Romantic Epic Premieres In Venice, Opens Theatrically In November at The Playlist.

Bradley Cooper‘s sophomore directorial effort, “Maestro,” a biopic about legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, hits Netflix later this year. But even with that film still in the post-production process, Cooper already has his next directing gig lined up. And according to Deadline, it sees the actor/director star alongside his longtime friend Will Arnett.

READ MORE: Bradley Cooper Says ‘Maestro’ Probably Won’t Come Out Until Fall 2023

Deadline report that Cooper joins the Searchlight pic “Is This Thing On?

Continue reading ‘Is This Thing On?’: Bradley Cooper To Direct, Star In Upcoming Searchlight Flick Alongside Longtime Friend Will Arnett at The Playlist.

It’s easy to forget now, given the wild success of the franchise since, but remember the context of the time: filmmaker James Gunn did the unthinkable and overcame incredible odds with 2014’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 1.” Moreso than almost any other Marvel characters that led their own movies in the last 20+ years, the Guardians were mostly unknown C-list characters, and many skeptical pundits were expecting a bomb because audiences would be unfamiliar.

Continue reading ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3’ Review: James Gunn Catches Too Many Feelings In An Overwrought & Overstuffed Goodbye at The Playlist.

Did you hear? Last night was the Super Bowl! And if you’re reading this website, odds are you couldn’t care less about Chiefs versus Eagles and don’t know a Mahones from a Hurts. But what you do know is that the Super Bowl means that there are a lot of companies willing to pay an exorbitant amount of money to get A-list stars to hock their wares in new ads. And this year was no different.

Continue reading Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck & More Lead The A-listers In This Year’s Super Bowl Ads at The Playlist.

Phase 5 of the MCU is about to kick off with “Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania,” but not long after that comes “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.” While the Guardians had supporting roles in Taika Waititi‘s “Thor: Love And Thunder,” and turned up recently in “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” this final edition of the franchise—at least the final installment for writer/director James Gunn—promises to be a big epic finale which will reunite the Guardians with Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, who’s been missing in action since “Avengers: Endgame.”

James Gunn’s tweets about it promise a story he “has been cooking up for years,” and in the past, he’s described it as “so big and dark.”

READ MORE: James Gunn Calls ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.

Continue reading ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Trailer: James Gunn’s Beloved Band Of Misfits Return For One Last Ride at The Playlist.

Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with “Creed III,” in theaters next March. And the upcoming film takes after the original “Rocky” movies as highly personal projects, with the movie’s leading man also being its director. After all, Sylvester Stallone directed four “Rocky” films: “II,” “III,” “IV,” and 2006’s “Rocky Balboa.” But Jordan’s third outing as Adonis Creed is the actor’s first time in the director’s chair.

Continue reading ‘Creed III’: Michael B. Jordan Sought Out Directing Advice From Denzel Washington And Bradley Cooper For The Upcoming Film at The Playlist.

Filmmaker James Gunn’s modus operandi has been mostly the same but especially pronounced over the last few years. He’s always been attracted to misfits, outsiders, and the forgotten, and that’s always yielded lots of great, irreverent humor, championing the losers of various universes and watching them succeed by supporting one another. But pushing it even further lately with “The Suicide Squad” and this new “The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special,” he’s genuinely considered, with great empathy, the emotional costs of being left behind in a more meaningful and even touching way.

Continue reading ‘The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special’ Review: James Gunn Mixes The Absurd & The Vulgar With Heartwarming Delights at The Playlist.

Projects come and go, some get announced and never happen, and sometimes filmmakers lose interest. But Steven Spielberg’s remake of Steve McQueen’s action car chase classic “Bullitt” (1968) looks like it is not only moving forward, but his next film as Bradley Cooper has been cast in the lead role.

Set up at Warner Bros., Deadline says Cooper will also produce the pic along with Spielberg and his producing partner Kristie Macosko Krieger (who also produced Cooper’s next film “Maestro”).

Continue reading ‘Bullitt: Bradley Cooper To Star In Star In Steven Spielberg’s Action Remake Of Steve McQueen Classic at The Playlist.

For many Marvel fans, the worst news to come out if this year’s Comic-Con was James Gunn‘s confirmation that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” would bring a close to the director’s trilogy of sci-fi hijinks. And while the first trailer for the film might have been a Comic-Con exclusive, here’s everything we saw – and what you can expect when the teaser finally drops online (we assume sometime in the next few weeks).

Continue reading ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ Trailer Description: Get Ready To Learn Rocket’s Tragic History [Comic-Con] at The Playlist.

One of the biggest Oscar snubs in recent history came in 2016 with Bradley Cooper’s stunning directorial debut, “A Star Is Born.” While the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Cooper, the major achievement of the film, Cooper knocking it out of the park for his debut feature-length debut, was somehow overlooked.

READ MORE: Bradley Cooper Talks Film Industry “Trepidation” & Why He Isn’t Getting “Paid” To Do The Films He’s Interested In Making

Well, Cooper’s obviously not doing it for the awards and clearly remains unbowed.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’ First Look: Bradley Cooper & Carey Mulligan In Netflix’s Leonard Bernstein Biopic at The Playlist.

Over the years, many actors have made the pivot to feature film directing: Ben Affleck, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Olivia Wilde, and more. Another high-profile example is Bradley Cooper, who saw his directorial debut, a remake of “A Star Is Born,” land eight Academy Award nominations, eventually walking away with Best Original Song for Cooper’s co-star Lady Gaga.

There is finally a casting update on Cooper’s next directorial project that will keep up the exploration of the world of music.

Continue reading ‘Maestro’: Maya Hawke Joins Bradley Cooper’s Next Directorial Effort About Leonard Bernstein at The Playlist.

Believe it or not, Bradley Cooper has already earned 8 Oscar nominations over the course of his career. That would make the actor-filmmaker one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, right? Well, not so much. As the actor explained in a recent The Business podcast interview, Cooper isn’t sure the types of films he wants to make will ever get him a big payday anymore. 

Obviously, it would be silly to think Bradley Cooper isn’t getting money and is struggling to put food on his table.

Continue reading Bradley Cooper Talks Film Industry “Trepidation” & Why He Isn’t Getting “Paid” To Do The Films He’s Interested In Making at The Playlist.

It’s undeniable that Bradley Cooper is the star of Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley.” The actor is in nearly every scene and is the driving force for much of the plot of the film. That said, in an ensemble filled with incredible performances, it’s the three women in Cooper’s character’s life that really fill in the details of “Nightmare Alley.”

READ MORE: Guillermo Del Toro Found ‘Nightmare Alley’s’ Godzilla In Cate Blanchett [Interview]

With “Nightmare Alley” in theaters now and being one of the buzziest films this awards season, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a featurette that illuminates the importance of the women in the film.

Continue reading ‘Nightmare Alley’ Exclusive Featurette: Guillermo Del Toro Talks Creating A Homme Fatale For His Noir Thriller at The Playlist.