Barbra Streisand Was 'Surprised' By How Similar Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga's 'A Star Is Born' Was To The 1976 Version She Starred In
Although it previously seemed that Barbra Streisand had given the 2018 version of A Star Is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper her seal of approval, she had some things to say about it.
The 79-year-old starred in the 1976 version of the flick with Kris Kristofferson, and before her, Judy Garland and James Mason shared the screen in 1954. The original version came out in 1937, and featured Janet Gaynor and Fredric March.
"At first, when I heard it was going to be done again, it was supposed to be Will Smith and Beyoncé, and I thought, that's interesting. Really make it different again, different kind of music, integrated actors, I thought that was a great idea," Streisand said on Australia's The Sunday Project show. "So, I was surprised when I saw how alike it was to the version that I did in 1976."
The Guilt Trip star said she thought the new version was "the wrong idea" but she "can't argue with success." The 2018 flick was directed by Cooper, and landed the "Born This Way" singer her first Academy Award on top of grossing $436 million worldwide. "I don't care so much about success as I do originality," Streisand said.
This isn't the first time Streisand has said how she really feels about the movie. "I think [Cooper] did a wonderful job with [directing Gaga]. I thought when it was going to be done [with Beyoncé] it was going to be very different and have a multiracial cast, and the music was going to be rap. But it’s more like the movie I made," she told Variety in 2018.
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However, that same year, she sang it's praises to Extra. "Of course I've seen it. I loved it. I think it's wonderful. She's wonderful," the "No More Tears" singer gushed.
Meanwhile, while the film was being promoted, Cooper and Gaga, who was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, gushed about the "Woman in Love" singer after she visited the set.
"She gave us a blessing. Everybody was so excited she was there. We just looked at each other and were like, 'Wow. How are we here right now?'" the American Sniper actor told Entertainment Weekly at the time. "She was so, so kind," Gaga said.
EW noted that in 2002, Smith reportedly had his eyes on Jennifer Lopez to star across from him in a remake of the film, while in 2011, Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio were interested in Beyoncé for the part.
