A few months ago, word surfaced that freshly minted Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper was hoping to reteam with his director on the upcoming "The Place Beyond The Pines" (our favorite film of last year's TIFF), Derek Cianfrance, on a project known as "Chef." In development for years, the script by "Eastern Promises" writer Steven Knight, follows a drug-addled chef who moves his restaurant from Paris to London in order to capture a three-star Michelin rating, and once upon a time it was set to team the unlikely combination of director David Fincher and Keanu Reeves.
But the project was seemingly revived by Cooper (who had his first leading role as the star of short-lived Fox sitcom "Kitchen Confidential"), who hoped to bring Cianfrance along for the ride with "The Intouchables" star Omar Sy according to a recent radio interview. But Premiere asked Cianfrance about the project, and it looks like he's not doing it, the director responding (our translation): "No, I will not direct this film. But I can say that Omar Sy has a lot of talent. I hope to one day have the opportunity to work with him… I read the script, and it's great, and Omar and Bradley are great. But it's not me who will make the film."
In all honesty, the film felt like a slightly odd fit for the project, which feels more naturally suited to Cooper's other recent collaborator David O Russell. Perhaps he'll be able to persuade the "Silver Linings Playbook" director to take it on after their soon-to-film second project together, the one formerly known as "American Bullshit?" Or will Cooper lose interest now that Cianfrance has moved on? Either way, let's hope that Cooper and Cianfrance get to work together on something else down the line.