When people say that you shouldn’t remake the classics, what they really mean is that you shouldn’t remake the classics without a good idea. George Cukor‘s 1954 film “A Star Is Born” is undoubtedly in the inner circle of Hollywood greats, but that hasn’t stopped first-time director Bradley Cooper from planning an ambitious and — let’s admit it — intriguing big screen remake. We’ve known for a while now that Cooper would be transplanting the movie to the country music scene and bringing in actress and pop star Lady Gaga for the Judy Garland role, but Warner Bros. has provided a few extra details about the film.
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According to Deadline, the biggest change on the horizon is the film’s star, formerly Lady Gaga, now known by her given name, Stefani Germanotta. The updated version of the film will also make a few clever updates to the plot of the original movie. In this version, Cooper will play Jackson Maine, a fading country music star who stumbles upon Germanotta’s musical ingenue Ally. Their torrid love affair starts to sour, however, when Ally’s career begins to take off while Jackson’s career stands still. As noted in the article, “A Star Is Born” will feature new music by Germanotta and shot several concert scenes this past week at the Coachella music festival. Between all of Germanotta’s “Monsters” and the classic Hollywood fans that will turn for this film, it should be an interesting generational mix at the local multiplex.
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Here’s the official synopsis:
Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a country music star on the brink of decline when he discovers a talented unknown named Ally (Germanotta). As the two begin a passionate love affair, Jack coaxes Ally into the spotlight, catapulting her to stardom. But as Ally’s career quickly eclipses his own, Jack finds it increasingly hard to handle his fading glory.
The cast also includes Sam Elliott and, perhaps most surprisingly, Andrew Dice Clay, making “A Star Is Born” a movie to keep your eye on in the months to come. No release date has been set for Cooper’s directorial debut.
