We’ll say this…Bradley Cooper sure has embarrassment of talent who want to work with him. The actor has used his “The Hangover” bump to line up projects with a variety of esteemed filmmakers, with Cooper pairing up over the last couple years with Susanne Bier (“Serena“), Derek Cianfrance (“The Place Beyond The Pines“), David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle“) and Cameron Crowe (the upcoming, untitled project that shoots this fall). He was nearly about to cap it all off with Steven Spielberg, who was set to direct “American Sniper” this spring. Just a few months later Spielberg bounced out, but now it seems one legend will replace another.
According to Twitch, Clint Eastwood has “gotten the nod” to helm the movie, with Cooper still attached to produce and star. While we wait for word to come through official type channels, the project will have to stall for both men regardless. Eastwood is gearing up to shoot the musical “Jersey Boys” this fall, while Cooper will be spending that time working on the aforementioned Crowe project. So perhaps once they both wrap up their gigs, they’ll team on this? The timing would surely work.
As for the movie, it’s an adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle‘s autobiography that tells the story of sniper who, in a ten year career, bagged the most kills in Army history, leading Iraqi insurgents to place a bounty on his head. But for all his success overseas, Kyle’s work put a strain on his marriage and home life. War was familiar territory of Spielberg, and so it is for Eastwood too (“Flags Of Our Fathers,” “Letters From Iwo Jima“) but the more contemporary tale could be an interesting texture.
All told, we’ll see how it works out. Is Eastwood a good replacement for Spielberg? Let us know below.
Update: Variety confirms Eastwood is in talks to direct “American Sniper.”
