Bradley Cooper Takes Aim At 'American Sniper'

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by Kevin Jagernauth
May 24, 2012 4:41 PM
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Bradley Cooper had a bit of a rough 2011, seeing two tentpoles -- "The Crow" and "Paradise Lost" -- slip through the net, but the actor has some great things on the horizon. He's currently shooting the Depression-era drama "Serena" with Jennifer Lawrence, directed by Susanne Bier; he also features with Lawrence in David O. Russell's "The Silver Linings Playbook" which had a flashy showing for press in Cannes; he's got "The Place Beyond The Pines" with Ryan Gosling around the corner; he's up for a role in Woody Allen's next film, and he's shooting "The Hangover III" later this year. So in short, things are looking very good. And now Cooper is taking the next step in his career.

Producing! His 22nd & Indiana production company, set up over at Warner Bros., has landed the rights to "American Sniper" the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Jason Deal Hall ("Spread," "Paranoia") will adapt the book, which tells the story of sniper who in a ten year career bagged the most kills in Army history, leading Iraqi insurgents to place a bounty on his head. But for all his success overseas, Kyle's work put a strain on his marriage and homelife. Yep, sounds like dramatic fare to us too, and while he's not confirmed just yet, Cooper is likely to take the lead role as well.

So all in all, not a bad little start to Cooper's production outfit, and if things go as planned over the next year or so, it could turn into what Plan B is for Brad Pitt or Appian Way for Leonardo DiCaprio. [THR]

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JD | May 24, 2012 5:24 PMReply

Y'know, that book has a somewhat sleazy, highly suspicious feel too it. Kyle had two co-authors, and their very selective recounting of his life and actual military career seems to have been written with an eye on Hollywood. I really got a sense of Kyle as a troubled man who's killed a LOT of people and doesn't feel very good about it, but is now, apparently with his full consent, is being exploited left and right.