The Mind-Blowing Story Behind Steven Spielberg's Game-Changing Offer to Bradley Cooper

Summary

Bradley Cooper wasn't the first choice to direct Maestro, but Steven Spielberg convinced him he had what it takes to helm the film.

Despite his status as a newcomer director, Spielberg recognized Cooper's talent for capturing the essence of a story, much like he did in A Star is Born. Cooper strives to go beyond the boundaries of a conventional biopic, expanding upon the foundation that caught Spielberg's interest in his previous work.

When it came to directing Maestro, Bradley Cooper had a powerful ally in Hollywood. Following his successful directorial debut with A Star is Born in 2018, Cooper is returning to the director's chair five years later for his upcoming film, Maestro. The movie will delve into the life, love, and career of the legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, with Cooper himself portraying Bernstein alongside a talented supporting cast including Carey Mulligan, Maya Hawke, and Matt Bomer.

According to producer Kristie Macosko Krieger, as reported by Deadline, director Steven Spielberg played a pivotal role in encouraging Cooper to take on the project. Initially, Spielberg had planned to direct Maestro with Cooper in the starring role. However, when Spielberg changed direction and decided to direct West Side Story instead, Cooper took the opportunity to express his interest in directing Maestro. In 2018, Cooper met with Spielberg and presented him with an early version of A Star is Born. It was during this meeting that Spielberg uttered a crucial sentence that would convince Cooper to direct the Bernstein biopic: "You are directing this movie, you must direct Maestro." See the full quote from Krieger below:

Bradley Cooper Wasn’t the First Pick to Direct Maestro, But Is He The Right Choice?

Josh, Steven, and I were invited by him to watch the film way before its release. About 20 minutes into the movie, Steven leaned towards me and whispered, "You should direct Maestro." This happened in 2018 when the project's rights were about to expire. Bradley had the task of convincing the Bernstein family that he was the ideal person to handle this project. He approached the family, successfully obtained the rights, and is now both directing and producing the film. The family recognized his dedication and attention to detail when it came to this film. After convincing them, the decision was made to move forward with the production. It's interesting to note that Bradley didn't want to create a typical biographical film.

Maestro had a lineup of directors before Spielberg took the helm. Initially, Martin Scorsese was set to direct, but the project eventually passed to Spielberg and then to Cooper. However, both Scorsese and Spielberg have remained involved as producers on Maestro even after passing on the directing responsibilities to Cooper.

The choice to pass on Maestro to Cooper is not one to be taken lightly by the production team. Scorsese and Spielberg, established and experienced directors in the realm of high-profile drama, far outweigh Cooper, who is only in his second directorial endeavor. However, A Star is Born clearly convinced Spielberg that Cooper possesses the necessary skills to tackle a project as grand as Maestro.

Spielberg's confidence in Cooper's ability stems from the impressive first 20 minutes of A Star is Born, where Cooper demonstrated his talent in capturing the essence of music and the initial sparks of love. In Maestro, Cooper intends to replicate this same level of admiration for music and the exhilarating passion of young love. As Krieger explains, Cooper is not interested in creating a typical biopic but rather aims to build upon the foundation that caught Spielberg's attention in A Star is Born.

Source: Deadline