‘Maestro’ Teaser: Bradley Cooper Turns Himself Into Leonard Bernstein

Bradley Cooper is striking a new chord as Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro.”

The Netflix film marks Cooper’s return to directing after Oscar-winning 2018 film “A Star Is Born.” Cooper stars as legendary composer Bernstein. Cooper also produces, and he co-wrote the film with “Spotlight” Oscar-winning screenwriter Josh Singer.

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The film, which is being billed as decidedly not a biopic, centers on the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre, portrayed by Carey Mulligan. Bernstein married the Costa Rica-born actress and activist in 1951, and they stayed together until she died in 1978 even as he had affairs with men and lived a gay life otherwise.

And “Maestro” may turn out to be Felicia’s story, as Mulligan gets first billing in the trailer. The film’s first poster (below) only features Mulligan, facing away from the frame.

Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, and Miriam Shor round out the ensemble cast for the period piece.

The teaser trailer below gives a glimpse at cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s Academy ratio visuals, as well as Cooper’s prosthetic nose worn to play the Jewish composer. Oscar winner Kazu Hiro (“Bombshell,” “Darkest Hour”) handles the film’s makeup design.

“Maestro” spans 30 years in the life of Bernstein, a many-award-winning conductor and composer of numerous symphonies, Broadway musicals including “West Side Story,” and film scores. In addition to Cooper, Steven Spielberg also produces the film. Spielberg originally planned to direct the feature before handing it off to Cooper after seeing an early cut of “A Star Is Born,” opting instead to focus on his own reimagining of Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”

Martin Scorsese, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger produce “Maestro” as well, with screenwriter Singer, Carla Raij, Bobby Wilhelm, Weston Middleton, and Tracey Landon serving as executive producers.

Cooper previously shared in conversation with “TÁR” actress Cate Blanchett that stepping into the role of Bernstein was “the most terrifying thing” of his career.

“The level of respect that I have for that world and that podium, it is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. And it’s so odd because so many people — I don’t know if you’ve come across this — but people that I have in the last five years have said, ‘Well, what is it that conductors even do? Aren’t you up there sort of doing like this?'” Cooper asked Blanchett. “And my answer is, ‘It’s the absolute hardest thing you could ever want to do. It is impossible.'”

“Maestro” premieres in select theaters November 22 and will stream on Netflix December 20. Cooper’s second directorial feature will sail into the Venice Film Festival in early September — even without Cooper or his cast in attendance given the current SAG strike orders — hoping to make a splash in the fall awards season. Watch the teaser trailer below.

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