Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper to Produce and Possibly Star in Navy SEAL Film AMERICAN SNIPER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 24th, 2012 at 1:10 pm

The ever-busy Bradley Cooper is setting up an adaptation of the Navy SEAL autobiography American Sniper at Warner Bros.  THR reports that Cooper will produce alongside Andrew Lazar and Peter Morgan, and will likely star in the film. Jason Dean Hall is set to write the script, and the book recounts Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s exploits as a Texas native who recorded the highest number of sniper kills for an American.  He was so feared by Iraqi insurgents that they gave him the nickname al-Shaitan (“the devil”).  An emotional center comes in the form of passages from Kyle’s wife, “who slowly watches as her husband’s affection turns from her to the SEALs and war.”

It sounds like a refreshingly frank piece of military non-fiction, and should prove to be a fascinating role for Cooper to take on.  The actor is currently filming the period drama Serena with Jennifer Lawrence, and he’s being eyed to star in Woody Allen’s next film.  He’s also set to shoot The Hangover Part III later this year.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of American Sniper.

First Trailer for THE WORDS Starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, and Dennis Quaid

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 17th, 2012 at 11:29 am

The first trailer for The Words has gone online.  I really dug the film when I saw it at Sundance, but this trailer doesn’t do a good job of getting to the drama of the central conflict, which is about a writer (Bradley Cooper) who becomes famous off a plagiarized manuscript, and then has to face his actions when he meets the original author (Jeremy Irons).

Hit the jump to check out the trailer, and try not to be turned off from the use of the horrible song at the end (it isn’t in the movie, in case you were wondering).  The film also stars Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, and Ben Barnes (who should have gotten a credit in the trailer since he plays a major character).  The Words opens September 21st.

First Trailer for HIT AND RUN Starring Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, and Bradley Cooper

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 15th, 2012 at 2:45 pm

The first trailer for the action romantic comedy Hit and Run has gone online.  Dax Shepard stars as an ex-getaway driver who exits the Witness Protection program to drive his pretty girlfriend to Los Angeles so that she can land her dream job.  The authorities and his former gang (led by Bradley Cooper) get wind of his reappearance and set out to chase him down.  Shepard wrote and co-directed the film with David Palmer, and it actually looks like a pretty fun comedy.  Cooper appears to be having a blast as a flashy gang member, and real-life couple Shepard and Bell have some excellent chemistry.  Moreover, Tom Arnold is in fine form as a U.S. Marshal who’s trying to protect Shepard’s character.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Kristin Chenoweth, Beau Bridges, David Koechner, Joy Bryant (Parenthood), and Ryan Hansen (Party Down).  Hit and Run hits theaters on August 24th.

Sally Hawkins to Star in Woody Allen’s Next Film; Production Starts This Summer in New York and San Francisco

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 30th, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Writer/director Woody Allen’s follow-up to last year’s Midnight in Paris, the Italy-centered To Rome With Love, is due out in theaters this summer, but as he’s wont to do, Allen is already gearing up to start production on his next project.  Last month we learned that Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett were being eyed to star in the currently untitled film, but now some solidified casting has been announced.  Variety reports that Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) is in talks to play one of two female leads in the dramedy, a “neurotic who’s fun and rough around the edges.”

Hawkins, who was most recently seen in last year’s Jane Eyre and Submarine, has worked with Allen before on 2007’s Cassandra’s Dream.  Though Copenhagen was previously rumored as Allen’s next location, Variety confirms that he’ll return stateside for this effort and shoot in New York and San Francisco this summer.  Blanchett is still eying the other female lead, a sophisticated woman who has her life together, while Cooper is circling a role in the ensemble.

Christian Bale to Star in Director David O. Russell’s AMERICAN BULLSHIT; Bradley Cooper in Talks to Join

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 18th, 2012 at 7:24 pm

After wrapping a little-publicized movie called The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale will reunite with The Fighter-director, David O. Russell for American Bullshit.  We previously reported that Russell was set to direct the picture, but this is the first we’ve heard of Bale being attached.  If that wasn’t enough, Bradley Cooper is also reportedly in talks to star.  A drama scripted by Eric Warren Singer (The International), American Bullshit (which more-than-likely won’t clear the MPAA with that title intact) is about the 1970s FBI sting known as “Abscam” that brought down a number of U.S. Congressmen.  Details are in short order as to who Bale and Cooper would play, but what is clear is who will be financing the film.  Hit the jump to find out more on American Bullshit.

First Image of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in SERENA; Production Begins in Prague

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 11th, 2012 at 12:24 pm

Though Lionsgate is undoubtedly scrambling to find a director for the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire before production begins this fall, star Jennifer Lawrence is currently busy shooting the thriller Serena.  The first image from the film, featuring Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, has been released along with the announcement that production has commenced in Prague.  The pic is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling Ron Rash novel about George (Cooper) and Serena Pemberton (Lawrence), a 1930s newlywed couple who travel to North Carolina to seize control of the timber industry. Infidelity and infertility leads Serena to plot the murder of George’s illegitimate son while attempting to keep their timber land from being taken by the government.

Hit the jump to check out the image and full press release.  Directed by Susanne Bier (In a Better World) the film also stars Toby Jones and Rhys Ifans.

ORPHAN Director Jaume Collet-Serra in Talks to Helm HERE THERE BE MONSTERS; Bradley Cooper Eyed for Lead

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 4th, 2012 at 6:01 pm

The period adventure pic Here There Be Monsters is one of those incredibly cool-sounding projects that has been lingering in development hell for years.  Robert Zemeckis was first eyeing the film as a return to live-action, then Brad Bird (The Incredibles) flirted with the pic once Zemeckis passed.  Now it appears that Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have decided to go with a lesser known director to take the helm: Jaume Collet-Serra.  The director was previously behind the horror feature Orphan and the Liam Neeson thriller Unknown, but he’s become quite popular as of late.  In addition to being attached to the live-action adaptation of Akira, Collet-Serra is also prepping a re-imaging of the Dracula story, Harker, with Russell Crowe.

Hit the jump for more on Here There Be Monsters, including the possible casting of Bradley Cooper.

Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett Eyed for New Woody Allen Film

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 29th, 2012 at 6:31 pm

Although Woody Allen earned himself another Oscar for his last film, Midnight in Paris, and currently has To Rome With Love due out in theaters in June, the director is currently considering cast members for an upcoming project. On his radar are Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as a leading lady and Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) as part of the ensemble. As far as locations go, after Paris and Rome, Deadline also reports that Allen is reportedly looking at Copenhagen for the setting of his next shoot. Details and confirmations are in short order at the moment and there has yet to be a titled assigned to the project. Might I suggest, “Beautiful People in Copenhagen?”

Production on THE HANGOVER PART III Set to Begin This September

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 22nd, 2012 at 4:15 pm

All’s well that end’s well. Earlier today Warner Bros. announced a May 2013 release date for The Hangover Part III, and now a press release has been sent out that confirms filming on the conclusion to Todd Phillips’ trilogy is targeted to start this September. Phillips has been talking up the concluding chapter since The Hangover Part II came out, and last we heard stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms were poised for a major salary increase to reprise their roles. Everyone is now set to return in order to close out the trilogy, and Phillips promises fans will be surprised by their “fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.” I sincerely hope that means deviating from the first film’s formula that was directly copied in the sequel.

Phillips co-wrote the script with The Hangover Part II co-writer Craig Mazin and will return to the director’s chair a final time. The Hangover Part III is slated to open on May 24th, 2013. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

Rhys Ifans and Toby Jones to Join SERENA

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 8th, 2012 at 5:15 pm

Director Susanne Bier (In a Better World) has just landed two more quality actors for her timber-empire thriller, Serena. Rhys Ifans (Anonymous) is currently in negotiations and Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger) is set to join a cast that already features Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) and Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class). Serena is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling Ron Rash novel about George (Cooper) and Serena Pemberton (Lawrence), a 1930s newlywed couple who travel to North Carolina to seize control of the timber industry. Infidelity and infertility leads Serena to plot the murder of George’s illegitimate son while attempting to keep their timber land from being taken by the government. Hit the jump for more on Ifans and Jones’ characters.

Full List of 2012 Oscar Presenters Includes Christian Bale, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis and the Cast of BRIDESMAIDS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 23rd, 2012 at 2:22 pm

We’re only a few short days away from the 84th Academy Awards, which means all that prognosticating and “fake controversy” business will finally come to an end on Monday morning. Until next year, that is. Nevertheless, a number of presenters have been announced over the past few weeks and we figured we’d bring you a full list of all the pretty celebrities scheduled to appear during Sunday night’s telecast. Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Emma Stone, The Muppets and the leading ladies from Bridesmaids will (hopefully) be bringing the funny, and today the Academy announced that last year’s winners in the acting categories will return to present. I really, really liked the way the awards were given out a few years back with past winners speaking directly to each of the nominees, so I’m hoping Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Natalie Portman, and Colin Firth will be doing something similar.

Hit the jump to read the full list of presenters and performers, and be sure to check back this weekend to see how yours truly and Matt Goldberg think the awards will stack up in our predictions feature. Billy Crystal hosts the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26th.

Michael Fassbender Confirmed to Star in Ridley Scott’s THE COUNSELOR [Update: Jeremy Renner and Brad Pitt Mentioned as Possibilities for Villain]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Though the sci-fi film hasn’t even come out yet, Michael Fassbender is already set to reteam with his Prometheus director Ridley Scott on Scott’s next project. When famed author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) surprisingly turned in his first spec screenplay a few months ago, Scott quickly attached himself to the project. We heard at the time that Fassbender was talking to Scott about possibly starring, and now Deadline confirms that the actor will star in The Counselor. While plot details are thin, the pic is described as “No Country for Old Men on steroids” and concerns a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the drug business without getting sucked down.

Production is set to begin on May 1st, but Fassbender is also poised to reteam with Shame director Steve McQueen on the period pic Twelve Years a Slave so it’s unclear if he’ll do Slave before or after The Counselor. The actor recently committed to developing and starring in a film based on Celtic warrior Cuchulainn. A number of high-profile actors are apparently talking with Scott about joining The Counselor, and the director’s chair was a highly sought-after gig. While I’m super excited about Prometheus, I’m interested to see Scott take on a straight drama following a number of large-scale pics. [Update: Deadline has updated their story to add that Scott is now looking to cast the villain role, with actors like Jeremy Renner, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper mentioned as possible candidates. This is shaping up to be one hell of a movie]

Legendary Pictures Scraps Alex Proyas’ PARADISE LOST Starring Bradley Cooper

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 12:02 pm

In the climate of budget conscious studios hesitant to gamble money on anything that doesn’t have a “2” in the title, more and more ambitious projects are having trouble crossing the finish line. Universal passed on Guillermo del Toro’s At the Mountains of Madness, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are struggling to get their blended, multi-part film/TV adaptation of The Dark Tower off the ground, and most recently we saw Warner Bros. put their fantasy pic Arthur & Lancelot on hold in order to work out budget issues.

Now you can add Paradise Lost to the list of blue balled titles, as Legendary has pulled the plug. The ambitious adaptation of John Milton’s classic epic poem was to begin shooting in January, but Legendary decided in December to push production back in order to reduce the budget. Now the studio has scrapped the project all together. Hit the jump for more, including why Legendary backed out.

TOP 5: WATCHMEN Prequel Comics, CHRONICLE Interviews, 16-Bit BREAKING BAD, DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX, Sundance 2012 Interviews

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 4th, 2012 at 10:33 am

This past week brought us a story that is near and dear to me. While I briefly give my own thoughts regarding DC Comics’ Watchmen prequel comic series after the jump, I want to use the “Top 5′s” opening paragraph space to invite readers to voice/type their own opinions on the announcement in the comments section. As a fervent fan of the series, I’m always interested to hear fellow fans’ take on Watchmen adaptations, prequels, and the like. So, with that said, what do you think? Does the creative talent involved interest you? Is it the best idea ever? The worst? Somewhere in between? Sound off in the comments.

In addition to DC’s Before Watchmen announcement, this installment of the “Top 5″ includes interviews with the cast and director of superhero/found-footage pic Chronicle, a “What If?” look at a 16-Bit Breaking Bad RPG, ten things to know about Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Sundance 2012 video interviews with Bradley Cooper, Paul Dano and more. A brief recap and link to each follows after the jump.

Bradley Cooper and Co-Director Brian Klugman Talk THE WORDS, TRON: LEGACY, PARADISE LOST, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, and More at Sundance

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 3rd, 2012 at 8:53 am

One of the best films I saw at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was writer-director Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal‘s first feature, The Words. The film stars Bradley Cooper as a writer who, after discovering an extraordinary lost manuscript, passes the work off as his own and receives overwhelming critical acclaim.  Jeremy Irons plays the man who originally wrote the manuscript, and the film weaves multiple narratives to tell the story.  The Words also stars Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Ben Barnes, and JK Simmons.  CBS Films bought the film after its first screening and they plan to release it later this year.  It’s definitely a film you should be excited to see.  For more on The Words, here’s Matt’s review.

Shortly after seeing the film, I did an extended interview with Bradley Cooper and co-writer-director Brian Klugman.  We talked about being at Sundance, how the project came together and how it changed along the way, deleted scenes, how the two of them became friends (they’ve known each other for decades), karaoke, film versus digital, and a lot more.  In addition, Klugman talked about his early draft of Tron: Legacy, and Cooper talked about what it was like to work on director Derek Cianfrance‘s The Place Beyond the Pines, and the status of Paradise Lost (it’s hopefully filming this June).  Hit the jump to watch.

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