Beyonce Knowles Exits ‘A Star is Born,’ Project Likely Dead
When it was announced that Clint Eastwood might be directing Beyonce Knowles in the third remake of 'A Star is Born,' it seemed likely that the film was destined to win all the Oscars. Then word came that Leonardo DiCaprio might be the male lead. Money in the bank. Now Beyonce has left the project, there's currently no male lead attached and the project looks dead in the water.
This news comes from Variety, and the film was supposed to be Eastwood's next film. After a number of films that did middling business (including the recent 'Trouble with the Curve') and the lack of real Oscar nominations for 'J. Edgar,' Eastwood may have a rougher go getting his next picture going. 'A Star is Born' had potential to be big with a number of audiences. Eastwood is still trying to get the picture made and jazz singer Esperanza Spalding has been mentioned (which fits more with Eastwood's interests), but without someone like Beyonce it's a much harder sell.
Originally the picture was delayed because of Beyonce's pregnancy, so it's possible that the all consuming "scheduling conflicts" got in the way. But though her start in films was a one-note joke (in the Austin Powers film 'Goldmember'), there was a sense that Knowles wanted to conquer as many mediums as possible, especially after appearing in 'Dreamgirls,' which seemed her bid at getting an Oscar. Perhaps she still has that desire, but she won't be chasing it with 'A Star is Born.'