Tweet

In 1937, William Wellman’s film, A Star is Born, premiered and was instantly a success, being nominated for seven Oscars, and winning one for Best Writing.

 

Wellman wrote the screenplay himself, about a young woman, Esther Blodgett (Janet Gaynor), who moves to Hollywood in hopes of reaching stardom, but achieves it only with the help of an alcoholic leading man, Norman Maine (Fredric March), whose career quickly dwindles down to nothing as hers only gets better.

 

Because of the film's quick success, it was remade in 1954, directed by George Cukor, and starred Judy Garland and James Mason, and was nominated for six Oscars. In 1976 it was remade again, featuring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, won an Oscar, a Grammy, five Golden Globes, and was nominated for a handful of additional awards!

 

As you can tell, the film has been extremely successful each time it has been remade, and a version has seemingly been created for every generation over the last 75 years!

 

So, since it’s been over three decades since the last A Star is Born premiered, there has been word circulating about the creation of a modern-day version, and it turns out all of the rumors are true.

 

A 2013 update is in development with Clint Eastwood as director; this generation’s version is said to be inspired by the life story of Nirvana’s frontman, the late Kurt Cobain. Will Fetters, who is writing the screenplay, was a huge Kurt Cobain fan and has voiced his excitement about the film. 

 

Fetters has also announced an interesting twist to this version, he states, “The framework was, 'All right, if Kurt Cobain never got to go Unplugged and survived, and it's 20 years later and it's now, and he wanted to try to do that album with that understanding as this grunge icon. That'd be tough to get done if he was past his prime, no longer selling, how does he get that album?'"

 

Although nothing can really be said for sure yet regarding the actors who will be playing the two main roles, Beyoncé  has been attached to the film from the start, and the most recent male lead announced has been Tom Cruise. 

 

Filming and finalizing has been pushed up a year (initial developments were made in 2011) because of Beyonce’s pregnancy, but now that little Blue Ivy Carter is with us, A Star is Born is in full force pre-production!

 

 

- Samantha Blum, YH Staff