Gaga, who came quite close to winning an Oscar previous year for “Til it Happens to You” from the documentary The Hunting Ground, will have the ideal showcase for another powerful, awards-friendly song. Beyonce had been Cooper’s original choice for his directorial debut but he went after Gaga when a deal could not be reached with the Dreamgirls star. The studio announced that Lady Gaga will compose new songs for the film, which she’ll also perform. Lady Gaga recently earned a Golden Globe award for her performance in the FX horror anthology series American Horror Story, adding that honor to a trophy case that includes six Grammy Awards. The singer will be pulling double duty both acting and composing new music for the film.
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Pictures president of creative worldwide production Greg Silverman told the Wrap. Based on the 1937 film starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, the film centers on an aging, self-destructive actor who helps an aspiring actress achieve her dreams of stardom. Cooper will also produce alongside Todd Phillips under their Joint Effort Productions banner, along with producers Billy Gerber and Jon Peters. “The world is in for a treat as these great artists craft an all new vision of ‘A Star is Born'”.
In a role originally offered to Beyoncé, Gaga will play a musical ingenue whose star is on the rise just as her mentor (played by Cooper) declines into obscurity.
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Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson starred in the 1976 version which earned Streisand the Academy Award for Best Song for “Evergreen”.
