Monday
Apr172017
Thoughts I Had... Gaga & Cooper's "A Star is Born"
Monday, April 17, 2017 at 9:59PM Chris here. Filming has officially begun on the long-developed remake of A Star is Born, which is both the cinematic debut of Lady Gaga and star Bradley Cooper's first time in the director's chair. Gaga may have some big shoes to fill after Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, but this one promises its own unique point of view: a fully country-western soundtrack. Intriguingly, Cooper will be filming live at music festival Coachella over the next few days, so you can bet we'll get a look at some of Gaga's original songs - but the studio has also given us our first look at the duo. Some first thoughts...
- Alternate title: A Star Is Born This Way.
- Lady Gaga is going by Stefani Germanotta in the film's credits. Does this attempt at serious mean we can expect an Oscar campaign if the film is received well? She's already got that Globe.
- Speaking of that Globe, I understand that people were underwhelmed by her American Horror Story work, but I think we should approach this performance with an open mind. With her passion for her music, you can at least expect her to go all in.
- This looks like a way more understated country persona than what her latest album Joanne created, so hopefully we get some diva moments. It'd be a shame if her character doesn't get to go full Gaga fabulous.
- Cooper on the other hand looks fairly unrecognizable. Directing, starring, learning the guitar, and growing a bro beard?
- Filming at Coachella?? Cooper must be looking for crowd shots of people who are, like, totally over it.
- This image is somewhat gloomy, but Cooper scored genius cinematographer Matthew Libatique. He's no stranger to music videos, so a full musical from him should deliver some strong images.
A Star Is Born opens September 28, 2018. Does
Reader Comments (34)
I am so so skeptical of this film but there's some great creatives on board, which gives me hope. And Gaga, I think, has a lot of potential as an actress, particularly in a musical. Her heart on her sleeve vulnerability will work well, Cooper will just need to reign in some of her theatrics. Let's just pray she's not doing a Southern accent.
Apparently the call for Coachella audience members said "country gear, but no pink Joanne hats," which made me actually lol. They know our little monster tricks.
You lost me at country music
Yeah, this image and casting is giving me "oh, bleep me, this hurts" vibes.
oh, sweet baby Jesus, yas! I am SO fucking here for this.
Country Gaga? I'm in. I mean yes!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssss!!!
Coachella has become a lame music festival that does nothing more than attract celebrities and hipsters. I for one would love to see a band come in there and tell the audience to fuck off and die.
I originally thought that Gaga, being the Madonna rip off she obviously is - regardless of talent - would never achieve more screen success than Madonna (a Golden Globe winner for Evita) and who has never been nominated for an Oscar despite been arguably worthy twice (Desperately Seeking Susan and Evita) in acting and several times (A League of her Own, Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me, and some others) in Song. And here we are now, after Lady Gaga just missed an Oscar win along Dianne Warren and now aims for an acting prize and probably a win for Song with this one...
I have to admit, I only like a couple of Gaga songs and I completely disconnected from her GG winning performance in AHS: Hotel.
Gaga's Hotel win was Pia Zadora-level bad. I genuinely like some of her songs, but find her totally obnoxious as a public persona. I'm only there for this if Oscar forces me to be.
It looks like it's going for Country over Camp.
"Lady Gaga is going by Stefani Germanotta in the film's credits."
LOL
Gags does not know how to be subtle. She ACTS with her face like a silent movie star, it fits her stage persona and maybe a telenovela but serious movie acting? Not confident.
And Cooper never held a guitar before that photo for sure. This will be camptastic for sure.
Who is this Madonna some commenters are talking about?
With so many actresses that can sing and actually ACT , not sure what Cooper`s trying to accomplish here ( hey Bradley, give a call to ur pal J-Law, maybe she can sing), Gaga win at the Globes was just plain weird and the last time I`ve seen a movie about country music was Country Strong and just cause I love Miss. Paltrow ( who, by the way can act and sing ). Pretty sure I`ll be avoiding this one.
I was excited for this til I saw the country vibe (and darkness of the shot)
Bradley is serving up some bland beige flyover appeal with a trimmed Jesus beard. Is this meant to be an earnest emo country film? Best of luck
I wanted the Beyoncé version!
Having never seen the previous versions, I'm merely...intrigued, I guess? The story doesn't do anything for me. Going country might actually be a good way to buy into Gaga's character moreso than if she was playing some flamboyant pop star.
Good or bad, I'm there. It's an ultra-romantic story. Sending Country Strong Good Vibes out to Coachella right now!
Gaga is overdue for creating another huge seismic impact. Gird your loins, people.
Cooper looks completely recognizable. Gaga better take some damn acting classes, she was horrible in AHS. No one cares about the Globes.
@Jesus Alonzo... MADONNA SUCKS AT ACTING... give it up.
Going country might be a good route actually. My favorite song of hers is You and I, so hopefully they are like that. I'm still iffy due to her acting abilities, I feel like she thinks too hard while acting.
LOL @ Madonna getting BSA for Desperately Seeking Susan. I like her in it, but c'mon girl.
brookesboy: Though Gaga is definitely trying to be Madonna, I'm also not sure she has QUITE as big an ego. You know, the kind of ego that kept trying to be a film star through twenty years of mostly epic failure and another six years past that trying to direct. Yes, her relative performance successes aren't to be sneezed at, even if they're not Oscar nom worthy. But most people who had Shanghai Surprise, Who's That Girl and Bloodhounds of Broadway back to back to back would (especially if acting wasn't their main avenue of fame) decide maybe this job isn't for them. I don't know who the next big "cross medium success story" pop star (after Streisand in the 60s/70s and Cher in the 80s/90s) will be. MAYBE Demi Lovato...?
If he wanted a musical star/celebrity, couldn't he have gone with Janelle Monae, who has already proven she can act?
Yes, Janelle Monae and Penn Badgley would have been terrific! Penn can actually sing and has a rock band. But these A Star is Born remakes always draw out super egos and failed expectations. I would only see this version if they added in lots of sex and nudity and roughed it up. But the country vibe is giving me the heaves.
I don't want to see it. To put it lightly, Joanne was a misstep.
I've seen the Judy Garland version, and I don't need another one. Best of luck to everyone involved, but I can't imagine that I will ever want to see this remake.
The country music angle gives the classic story a different spin - it's going to be very tough to beat the classic George Cukor version
I'm...interested. Hesitant, but interested. I want it to be good. I definitely wanted the Beyonce version though. Damn, A Star is Born, Coachella...what else is Gaga gonna scoop up from Beyonce? lol
And I am so tired of people pitting women against each other. It's just exhausting. There's room for everyone, and these conversations never happen regarding men.
Philip H: Oh, if the cards played out right for multiple pop stars to have truly enduring STAR careers at the same time? I'd congratulate it. But Beyonce has fallen through all but completely at this point, Mariah Carey all but disappeared in a puff of Glitter on her first attempt aside from a character spot or two and things aren't really looking up for Lady Gaga (This promo shot seems to imply that Bradley Cooper considers modern Clint Eastwood his biggest directorial influence, and that is NOT a compliment). Also: Who's the last major male POP star (because only pop stars get Oscar nominations) to have a respected cinema career for more than a year or two. Burl Ives, maybe? Yes, I know Bowie is a very good actor, but, overall, he's a ROCK star, not a POP star. So, his Oscar prospects were pretty much dead in the water. (See also, on the other side of the gender divide: Courtney Cox (you can't tell me that if a Madonna or Cyndi Lauper went there, they wouldn't have gotten the nod) and Debbie Harry (she's not Joan Jett, but she's more rock than Oscar goes for for acting, if you feel me).)
@T
It's AlonSo, not AlonZo.
Golden Globe winner for "Evita" and for a reason. And in "Desperately Seeking Susan" was stealing all her scenes, basically for playing her persona, but we didn't knew that yet, back then.
@AlonSo it's KNOW not knew.