His eye set on directing a musical for a couple of years, Clint Eastwood has been struggling to get his version of A Star is Born off the ground. Originally slated for Beyonce in one of the lead roles, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, and Bradley Cooper targeted at different stages, the film hit a road bump when the actress pulled out after her pregnancy. But he appears to have found another film of the genre to take its place, entering talks to direct an adaptation of Jersey Boys.
Warner Bros. has been having just as much trouble bringing the acclaimed stage musical onto the big screen, putting the film in turnaround a few months ago. The story, which features a script adapted by John Logan (Skyfall), follows the rise and fall of 1960s rock band Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, one of the most successful groups of all-time.
Eastwood would be taking over for Jon Favreau, who left the project after he and the studio couldn't find common ground on who should star. The studio, understandably, wanted bigger names to support what would have to be a fairly large budget, while Favreau wanted lesser known actors.
A longtime musical fan and jazz enthusiast, Eastwood directed the Charlie Parker biopic Bird back in 1988. It'll be interesting to see if this puts the final screw into A Star is Born, or if the film, which still has considerable name value, will continue on.
