During Variety‘s recent Actors on Actors interviews, Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper confirmed that production on the biographical drama film Maestro is expected to begin this May. The project serves as his first directorial project in over three years after the acclaimed drama A Star is Born.
In addition to directing, Cooper is also set to portray the leading role of award-winning composer Leonard Bernstein. During his conversation with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, he opened up about the project, revealing that he was drawn to the project because he has always wanted to become a conductor ever since he was a kid.
“I [told Steven Spielberg], ‘I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write it and direct it? Would you let me do that?’” Cooper said. “Steven has a lot of interests — he’ll just choose one thing and all of the other things will be on hold. I think he knew he wasn’t going to make that movie for a while. He was kind enough to hand it off to me, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the last four and a half years, and we start shooting in May.”
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Maestro will span over 30 years in telling the beautifully complex story of the marriage between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre. Joining Cooper are Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre, and Jeremy Strong as John Gruen.
Cooper’s main focus on the project has always been the “charged and complex relationship” between Bernstein and Montealegre. The star and filmmaker has reportedly been working closely with Bernstein’s children Jamie, Alexander, and Nina, over the past couple of years.
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Maestro is co-written by Cooper and Josh Singer with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Cooper, and his Joint Effort producing partner Todd Phillips (Joker), Kristie Macosko Krieger, Oscar-nominated producer Emma Tilliinger Koskoff (The Irishman, Joker), and Fred Berner and Amy Durning set as producers.
Paramount is no longer involved with the project. Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is still attached. The streamer will give the film a significant theatrical release before it moves exclusively to Netflix.
