Bradley Cooper wants “movie actor” to be one of many business cards he carries in his wallet. In 2014, he showed off that ambition, shepherding “American Sniper” to the big screen as a producer and jumping to Broadway after developing his take on “Elephant Man.” Now, as many Renaissance men and women do, he”s looking to direct, with the stars are aligning for his debut.
Deadline reports that Cooper is in talks to helm 'Honeymoon With Harry,' a movie he was slated to to star in alongside his “Limitless” costar Robert De Niro. The plan is still to star, pulling double duty on a script by Dan Fogelman (“Crazy Stupid Love”).
According to an earlier report from Deadline, “Honeymoon with Harry” is a James L. Brooks-esque drama that Cooper has been eager to push through the pipeline. The story focuses on “a formerly self-centered womanizing booze-hound who changed his ways when he met a girl and fell in love. He”s loathed by the girl”s dad, who recognizes himself in the young man. They get engaged anyway. When she dies tragically just before their wedding, the devastated groom heads off on their honeymoon to drown his sorrows and drink himself to death. Who does he meet but his almost father-in-law, who has come to spread his daughter”s ashes on her favorite beach.” Evidently, both Cooper and De Niro performed a reading of the script back in 2010.
This isn”t the first time Cooper has expressed interest in behind-the-camera work. A few years back, Cooper”s name cropped up as a writer on a long-gestating adaptation of Dan Simmons” novel “Hyperion.” Our own Drew McWeeny spoke to the actor about the project, but in the years since, there”s been little public motion on the film.
Cooper is currently a contender for Best Actor for his work in “American Sniper,” after earning two Oscar nominations for previous work in “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.” He”s reportedly circling a number of projects for his directorial debut, though “Honeymoon with Harry” looks likely.
But before all that? Cooper is reuniting with the cast of “Wet Hot American Summer” for Netflix”s just-announced limited series. The revival starts shooting this week and it”s pretty much the greatest news ever. Bradley, direct whatever the hell you want. You earned it.