Bradley Cooper and his production company over at 22nd & Indiana haven’t had much luck with their big screen rendition of American Sniper. A little while back we understood that Steven Spielberg committed to direct the adaptation, though the Hollywood icon later dropped out citing budget problems – though this reasoning was never confirmed. However, this string of bad luck could end very soon for Cooper’s Navy Seal project as according to Twitch, Clint Eastwood is now interested in taking up the directing mantle.
The report states that the cinematic stalwart “has gotten the nod” to step behind the lens for American Sniper, though it isn’t necessarily clear whether Warner Bros. have openly begun negations with Eastwood or not. Considering that the actor-turned-moviemaker is currently at work on Jersey Boys – a musical set to begin filming next month – and no firm release date has been set for the Cooper-led adaptation, it seems entirely possible that Eastwood may be handed the reins for the film.
Telling the story of a Navy Seal operative named Chris Kyle, American Sniper is based on the bestselling autobiography of the same name; one which documents Kyle’s story as the man who holds the highest number of sniper kills in American history. At the moment, Bradley Cooper is on board to play the trigger-happy protagonist, though it’s unclear whether or not he will remained committed to the project should it be postponed to accommodate Eastwood’s directing slate. In saying that, The Hangover star is also producing the project, so one would assume that he will remain on board.
Having directed the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby in 2004, Clint Eastwood arguably hasn’t delivered a project of a similar quality since – 2010’s Hereafter is a case in point. Still, with a best-selling autobiography as its ammunition, American Sniper has plenty of potential should the illustrious star step behind the camera to direct.
What do you make of the rumour, though? Do you believe Clint Eastwood is a good choice to visualise Chris Kyle’s journey? Let us know in the comments.
