EXCLUSIVE: Steven Spielberg looks to have found his Frank Bullitt as sources tell Deadline Bradley Cooper has closed a deal to play the no-nonsense San Francisco cop in the new original Bullitt story centered on the classic character famously played by Steven McQueen in the 1968 thriller, which is set up at Warner Bros. Cooper will also produce the pic along with Spielberg and his producing partner Kristie Macosko Krieger (marking their second collaboration after Maestro), with Josh Singer on board to pen the script. Steve McQueen’s son, Chad ,and granddaughter Molly McQueen will exec produce the new movie.
Sources are adamant this is not a remake of the original film but a new idea centered on the character. In the original film, Frank Bullitt is a no-nonsense San Francisco cop on the hunt for the mob kingpin that killed his witness. Considered one of McQueen’s more iconic roles, the film delivers one of the most famous car-chase scenes in cinema history. Sources also add the film is still in development.
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While Cooper’s deal only recently closed, he and Spielberg have been talking about the character and what a new take on the story would look like going all the way back to the pandemic when everyone was stuck in quarantine and had nothing but time on their hands. Cooper and Spielberg have been trying for years to team up on something going all the way back to when the legendary director came close to directing Cooper in American Sniper (Spielberg ultimately moved on and Clint Eastwood stepped in to direct the film). With Maestro, Spielberg had been developing it for years and he came close to directing himself but after being blown away by Cooper’s A Star Is Born, Spielberg felt Cooper was better suited to not only star in the film but direct the love story as well (Spielberg remains on as a producer of the film along with Macosko Krieger, Martin Scorsese, Fred Berner and Amy Durning).
Cooper is currently in post-production on Maestro, which he also co-wrote, directed, produced and stars in, alongside, Carey Mulligan. The film will be released by Netflix in 2023. With 9 Oscar nominations for both acting and producing, Cooper is one of the few actor/directors who has been able to combine critical acclaim with box office success. Cooper is repped by Range Media Partners.