Bradley Cooper is back with the eagerly awaited Netflix film, Maestro, centred on the renowned conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein.
Known for his original compositions as well as film scores for the likes of Eliza Kazan’s On The Waterfront, Berstein’s legacy endured after the conductor’s death in 1990. Maestro will chronicle Berstein’s life over several decades, focusing on his tempestuous marriage to Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan.
The cast also includes Maya Hawke as their daughter, Sarah Silverman as Bernstein’s sister, and additional actors Gideon Glick, Gabe Fazio, Eric Parkinson, William Hill, Nick Blaemire, Oscar Pavlo and Tim Rogan.
Initially set to be directed by Martin Scorsese, the baton was then passed on to Steven Spielberg after production began on The Irishman, however Spielberg then invited Cooper, who had already been eyed for the lead, to direct after watching a screening of his 2018 debut, A Star Is Born.
Scorsese and Spielberg remain attached as producers, along with executive producers Carla Raij, Josh Singer, Bobby Wilhelm, Weston Middleton and Tracey Landon. Cooper co-wrote the screenplay with Spotlight co-writer Josh Singer and has brought back A Star Is Born cinematographer Matthew Libatique for Maestro.
Boasting a mixture of luminous black-and-white photography and saturated colour, and teasing images of Bernstein and Montealegre at various stages of life, Maestro looks set to be a triumphant sophomore feature from Cooper.
The film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September before seeing a limited theatrical release to accompany its release on Netflix on December 20th. Watch the trailer below.
