Iconic horror and fantasy director Guillermo Del Toro didn’t need major star power to win over the Academy at last year’s Oscars ceremony, where he took home numerous awards for The Shape of Water. But of course, a seasoned name like Leonardo DiCaprio or Bradley Cooper wouldn’t hurt.

For Del Toro’s next project, Nightmare Alley, Cooper is now in talks to take over the lead role in place of Leonardo DiCaprio, who reportedly had first claim to the role. Neither actor has confirmed or denied a deal for the project, but they are the main names in the running with Cooper now jumping ahead.

Nightmare Alley follows conman Stan Carlisle who is outsmarted by the woman he is trying to con at a twisted carnival. The film will be a remake of the 1947 original and the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham.

Cooper will be getting quite busy soon with his upcoming Leonard Bernstein biopic called Bernstein, which he will be writing, directing, and starring in.

DiCaprio is also getting booked up with roles in the upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon, Hulu series The Devil in the White City, and biopic Roosevelt, all more partnerships with director Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio has not worked with Del Toro before, so we’ll see if his devotion to Scorsese wins out over the opportunity to star in the more fantastical director’s next major project.