Back in February, it was announced that Russell Crowe and Beyoncé were the frontrunners to star in a remake of “A Star Is Born” to be directed by Nick Cassavetes. The project has been knocking around for a while with a variety of talent attached at various points including Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Hamm, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys. Well, it looks like Beyoncé can be added to the growing list of stars who have come and gone, as it appears she’s dropped out of the project.
Doing press rounds for this forthcoming film “Robin Hood,” Crowe said, “I think [Beyonce] pulled out. But, I’m still chatting about it. It’s one of those movies that has been made a lot, but I think it’s still quite a big focus. You can see that in terms of the popularity of things like American Idol.” While Crowe makes it seem like its not a 100% certainty, if he’s been talking to the director/producers/studio and her name hasn’t come up, it’s safe to assume Beyoncé has moved on.
“A Star Is Born” has previously seen three iterations with the most popular being Judy Garland and James Mason’s musical pairing in 1954 and latest dramatic acting version starring Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976. While it’s not yet known yet how Cassavetes’ version will differ from the previous incarnations, it’s clear that by aiming for interracial leads they are trying to expand the potential audience base and increase international appeal. However, it should be noted that no one of any race showed up for “Nine,” so everyone involved will truly have to bring it.
We’re really too indifferent about this project to get invested in it too much. Once the film gets its female lead, it will undoubtedly became an awards season project for Warner Bros. But, considering the revolving door of talent so far, who knows when this might actually get made.
–Written by Kevin Jagernauth
