“The only filmmaker who definitely won’t be in Venice”: Bradley Cooper Was Desperate for Upcoming Film to Premiere in Venice After Begging Festival Director to Release it
American actor and director Bradley Cooper is known for his great performances and choice of projects. He has been the face behind notable critically acclaimed movies like American Sniper, Silver Linings Playbook, and A Star Is Born. He landed into the realm of direction with his first directorial venture A Star Is Born in 2018. Bradley Cooper sets out with his second directorial project Maestro, which is based on the life of the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein.
The official trailer of the upcoming biographical saga was released on August 15 on YouTube by Netflix. Maestro is co-written and directed by the actor himself. He would be seen portraying the character of the protagonist Leonard Bernstein in the movie. Maestro is set for its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but amidst the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes Bradley Cooper would not be able to join the premiere of his dream project.
Bradley Cooper Would Be Missing The Premiere Of Maestro At The Venice Film Festival
Bradley Cooper desperately wanted the screening of his magnum opus project Maestro to be held at the Venice Film Festival just like his first directorial venture A Star Is Born in 2018. He even went on to request the director of the reputed film festival for the Italian debut of the biographical epic, but unfortunately, he would not be able to be part of the screening.
According to Alberto Barbera, the director of the Venice Film Festival, The Hangover actor was very excited about his premiere of Maestro on the Italian grounds. He even mentioned-
“So far, the only filmmaker who definitely won’t be in Venice is Bradley Cooper because he’s also the leading actor. He called me and said he desperately wanted the film to be in Venice, that it was his dream come true, but he didn’t want to come against the strike. I understand, of course.”
Read Also: Anti-Defamation League Breaks Silence on Bradley Cooper’s Maestro’s ‘Anti-Semitic’ Makeup
While talking about the ongoing writers and actors strike and the screening of the upcoming movies at the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera pointed out
“I’d already closed the selection for the festival when we got the news about the strikes. We spent a few days concerned that we could lose all the films from the US. It was an extremely difficult weekend.”
The American Hustle actor would be present at the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes with prominent actors including Mads Mikkelsen, Cailee Spaeny, Adam Driver, Jacob Elordi, Jessica Chastain, and Caleb Landry Jones.
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro Lands In Trouble For His Prosthetic Nose
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro has landed itself in trouble not for the plot, or the cast but for the actor’s nose. After the trailer, the actor was criticized for his prosthetic nose for allegedly portraying a stereotypical Jewish face. Bradley Cooper worked closely with Academy Award recipient Kazu Hiro of Darkest Hour fame in order to create the perfect prosthetic nose for the protagonist. The late conductor Leonard Bernstein’s family stood in defense of the criticism.
During an interview with the reputed media outlet Vanity Fair, Jamie Bernstein daughter of Leonard Bernstein addressed the backlash and said-
“It’s just such an annoying distraction. The people who were waiting to get mad about something were just waiting to pounce.”
Jamie Bernstein even released a joint public statement defending Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose, which mentioned-
“Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father. We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration. It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that.”
With great audience reception, Bradley Cooper’s biographical drama is expected to top the charts with respect to the viewership on Netflix. Maestro will be streamed on Netflix on December 20, 2023.
Check out the trailer of Maestro below.
Source: IndieWire
