Clint Eastwood is gearing up to dip his toe back into the acting game with the upcoming drama Trouble with the Curve, but the director is still pulling things together for his adaptation of A Star Is Born. Production was pushed back when star Beyoncé Knowles became pregnant, then Leonardo DiCaprioâEastwoodâs first choice for the projectâpassed. Alternates for the male lead were rumored to be Christian Bale and Will Smith, but Variety now reports that Warner Bros. is courting Tom Cruise to take the part. Hit the jump for more.
Several adaptations of A Star Is Born have come to the screen, but the most notable is the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason. The story concerned a movie star with a career on the decline who helps a young showgirl ascend to stardom. Tensions arise when her star rises and he fades further into obscurity. Eastwoodâs version moves the action to the music world as the over-the-hill musician falls for the young star. Hit the jump for more on Cruise's involvement with the project.
Cruise himself has quite a busy slate on his hands. He scored big with Mission: Impossible â Ghost Protocol, and he recently completed filming the thriller adaptation One Shot. Heâs next set to star in Joseph Kosinskiâs sci-fi thriller Oblivion, and he recently signed on for Doug Limanâs sci-fi actioner All You Need Is Kill. Beyond these confirmed projects, thereâs also another Mission: Impossible to think about and the untitled Les Grossman movie that spins off his character from Tropic Thunder. So yeah, Cruise is a very busy guy.
That said, A Star Is Born might be a smart move for the actor. Heâs been working his way back into moviegoersâ hearts following Oprahgate, and he seems to have lined up primarily action-thriller films. Itâd be nice to see him stretch his dramatic chops once again, and A Star Is Born could be the perfect vehicle for the stretching of said chops. The actor will be seen signing in this summerâs musical Rock of Ages, so if audiences respond positively then A Star Is Born would be another go-around with a musically-inclined Cruise. The actor has yet to sign on, but the studio seems keen on casting him. If he does show interest, heâll have to move his schedule around a bit to accommodate the shoot (though Eastwood will be busy this spring with Trouble with the Curve). Hopefully we hear more soon, but for now I kind of like the pairing of Cruise and Beyonce.