According to Deadline, Sam Elliott (FX’s Justified) is joining the cast of A Star is Born. Warner Bros.’ new remake of the classic film stars three-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), who will be making his directorial debut with this title. Cooper also worked on a prior version of the script. Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga also stars, making her major feature film debut. The latest script version comes from Eric Roth (Forrest Gump).
A Star is Born has had several film incarnations beginning in the 1930s. Arguably the most famous version was the Judy Garland-James Mason starrer in 1954. The story centers on a new talent on her way to stardom (Lady Gaga) while her mentor/lover/former celebrity is on his way to becoming a has-been (Cooper). Elliott will have a major role, playing the couple’s benevolent manager.
Producers are Cooper, Billy Gerber, Todd Phillips, Lynette Howell Taylor and Jon Peters. Basil Iwanyk executive produces.
Elliott is a veteran character actor. One of his first film roles was as a card player in the 1969 mega-hit Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He can currently be seen on The Ranch, which debuted on Netflix last year. On the big screen, he was recently in Brett Haley’s comedy-drama I’ll See You in My Dreams. He re-teams with Haley in another comedy-drama The Hero, which will be released theatrically on June 9th.
Shooting on A Star is Born begins in mid-April.