Sliding into Steve McQueen’s shoes is never easy, but Bradley Cooper is going to give it the old college try. According to IndieWire, the 9-time Oscar nominee is dipping his toe back into the action world as Frank Bullitt, the character made famous by McQueen in the 1968 Peter Yates film that revolutionized the thriller genre. Granted, it’s being written by Josh Singer (Spotlight) and directed by Steven Spielberg (voice of the Amity Point Lifestation Worker in Jaws), so it’s completely possible that this foray into the underworld is another attempt at Oscar glory.
The funny thing is that, as daunting as it might be for any actor to take on a role owned by McQueen, a ton of pressure might face Spielberg, who will attempt to add another cinematic chapter to an iconic film that changed the game. Everyone will name Bullitt‘s car chase as one of the best in cinema history (we see you, Ronin), but its airport shootout and the rest of its action sequences were also top notch and creatively ambitious. It will be interesting to see if Spielberg uses the opportunity to go back to the car chase roots laid down by Bullitt in an era marked by jump cuts, blink-fast edits, CGI beef ups, and other nonsensical trickery.
Regardless, it’s an exciting jump back into genre with a hefty dose of prestige involved.
(via IndieWire)