‘Maestro’ Adds Sarah Silverman to Leonard Bernstein Biopic

Silverman is reportedly playing Leonard Bernstein’s sister in the film.

Netflix has more than a few potential Oscar-worthy films coming soon and one of the more compelling ones is Maestro. The biopic follows Oscar-nominated composer Leonard Bernstein’s life and sees Bradley Cooper playing the famous musician. The film will also be Cooper’s directorial follow-up to his first feature A Star is Born. Now, reported exclusively by Deadline, Sarah Silverman has joined the ensemble cast. Sources close to Deadline say she will be playing Bernstein’s sister in the film.

Silverman joins an all-star cast that features Carey Mulligan as Bernstein’s wife Felicia, Matt Bomer, and Maya Hawke. The stars also extend behind the camera as the project is being produced by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner, and Amy Durning. Cooper is producing the film as well, which he had been developing together with the Bernstein family, and it was written by Oscar-winning Spotlight screenwriter Josh Singer.

Going against the recent biopic trend, this is not a film that will tackle just one moment in Bernstein’s life. This is a drama that covers the “complex love story” between Leonard and Felicia which spans over 30 years. We will see how they first met in 1946 all the way through their 25 years of marriage. This includes the relationship they shared with their three children. The film is currently in production and Netflix recently released the first official images of the film which showed Cooper and Mulligan at various stages of the Bernstein’s life. Bernstein lived a very complex life full of music and activism. The composer protested issues of his time like the Vietnam War and was an avid supporter of Civil Rights, so the sky’s the limit for how this film can tackle his story.

RELATED: ‘Maestro’ Adds Maya Hawke as Leonard Bernstein’s Daughter

Silverman is a comedian more known for her roles in Bob’s Burgers and Wreck-it Ralph, but the actress is no stranger to dramatic work with her roles on Master of Sex and the film I Smile Back. It’s always exciting to see a comedic talent take on more serious material. Silverman has shown us in the past that she is more than capable of taking on a project like Maestro. It’s also going to be interesting to see what kind of chemistry Silverman and Cooper will share as well as what their sibling dynamic will add to this film.

Maestro has had a rather long road to its development with Spielberg originally attached to direct the film before Cooper eventually landed the gig thanks to his work on A Star is Born. If Maestro is anything like that masterful remake, both film and music fans are in for a real treat.

Maestro is currently in production now with an intended 2023 release window. Due to this and Silverman’s casting, we should be hearing even more news on the project soon.

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