Wow. Just... wow.
In what might be the most unexpected (and perhaps most exciting) piece of movie-related news of the year so far, Deadline brings word that Clint Eastwood and Beyoncé are joining forces to bring that old musical chestnut, "A Star Is Born," into the 21st century.
This will be the fourth big-screen version of the story about a former matinee idol who falls in love with a young actress on the rise. The 1937 version starred Fredric March and Janet Gaynor; the 1954 version starred James Mason and Judy Garland; and the (rather notorious) 1976 version starred Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand (and Gary Busey!).
A new version of "A Star is Born" has been in development at Warner Bros. for some time, think Clint Eastwood is a perfect fit for this. He's certainly no stranger to the world of music, and we don't just mean "Paint Your Wagon" -- he directed the Charlie Parker biopic, "Bird," and lately has been doing all of the scores to his films himself, including "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby" and "Changeling."
But the big question is: Who will play opposite Beyoncé? Apparently WB is hoping for Will Smith, which would be awesome. Sean Combs might be interesting, too, as he's proven himself to be a pretty good actor (and we know he can sing). Actually, there are a ton of Hollywood actors in their 30s, 40s and even 50s who could be great for this... do we have to choose just one?
Anyway, the plan is to start shooting "A Star is Born" in the fall, after Clint wraps up "J. Edgar" (ooo, Leonardo DiCaprio might be good for this, too!). Stay tuned for updates!
