Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are about to go where Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand have gone before.
Filming began Monday on “A Star Is Born,” the latest remake of the the oft-made story of two celebrities who meet when one’s star is on the rise and the other’s is waning. To commemorate the occasion, Warner Bros. released the first image from the movie, which has Gaga wailing into a microphone while Cooper, guitar in hand, looks on admiringly.
Gaga is being billed as Stefani Germanotta, her real name, and the film marks her first leading role in a major motion picture. It also represents Cooper’s directorial debut.
Cooper will play Jackson Maine, a country music star who discovers a talented unknown named Ally (Germanotta). As Ally’s career quickly eclipses his own, Jack struggles to accept that his best days may be behind him, putting a strain on their budding romance.
Previous versions of the film include the 1937 classic with Fredric March and Janet Gaynor as Hollywood stars, the beloved 1954 George Cukor musical version with Garland and James Mason, and the financially successful, if slightly campy, 1976 update with Streisand and Kris Kristofferson as rockers. That one is best known for Streisand’s torch song “Evergreen” and for her exuberant perm.
At one point, Clint Eastwood flirted with remaking the film with Cooper and Beyonce. Gaga has composed and will perform original songs in the movie. The two head a cast that also includes Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Elliott. The film hits theaters on Sept. 28, 2018.