Netflix posted on its social media the first look at Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s second directed film that follows the success of his 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. The film will be a biopic about the conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, which the images highlight as audiences get a peek at what the actor will look like in the role. The images also show his co-star Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), who will play Bernstein’s wife, Felicia Montealegre. The pictures show the two throughout different eras of their career.
From the set of MAESTRO. pic.twitter.com/y3qsYILk6P
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) May 30, 2022
Maestro has been moving along to hit its Netflix release by 2023, with no confirmation on a theatrical run. Cooper confirmed that production started this month on Variety’s Actors on Actors interview show, where two actors talk about their latest work. In a conversation with Mahershala Ali (Green Book), the Silver Linings Playbook star explained how the movie went from being in the hands of Steven Spielberg to him, thus confirming when filming would begin.
“I [told 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.”
Bradley Cooper will be directing, producing, starring, and writing the film with co-writer Josh Singer (Spotlight). With Mulligan by his side, they will be joined by Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) as Bernstein’s daughter Jamie. Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol) is in talks for an unknown role, according to Deadline.
Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Todd Phillips (Joker), Kristie Macosko Krieger (West Side Story), Amy Durning (Law & Order: Organized Crime), and Fred Berner will produce.
Leonard Bernstein was best known for his play West Side Story, which was later adapted into the classic 1960s film, and remade in 2021 by Spielberg.
