Upfront: The Queens of Comedy

A Star Is Born is a 2018 American musical romantic drama film produced and directed by Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut, from a screenplay he wrote with Eric Roth and Will Fetters. It stars Cooper and Lady Gaga in the lead roles, with Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott in supporting roles. The film follows Jackson Maine (Cooper), an established musician struggling with alcoholism and addiction, who discovers and falls in love with aspiring singer Ally (Gaga) as her career begins to eclipse his own. It is the third remake of the 1937 film, following the 1954 and 1976 adaptations. A new adaptation underwent a prolonged development process, with various directors and performers attached before Cooper took over as director. Principal photography began in April 2017; the production emphasized authenticity through concert sequences filmed at real music festivals, live-recorded vocals, and a naturalistic visual style that placed the camera close to the performers. The film's original music was developed alongside the screenplay, with songs written and revised during production to reflect the characters' emotional journeys. A Star Is Born premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 5 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $436.4 million worldwide against a $36 million production budget. Critics particularly praised Cooper's direction and the performances and chemistry of Cooper and Gaga, while the cinematography, music and Elliott's supporting performance also drew positive notices. The accompanying soundtrack was similarly successful, becoming one of the world's best-selling albums of 2019 and producing the single "Shallow", which topped the charts in multiple countries. The film received eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Cooper, Best Actress for Gaga and Best Supporting Actor for Elliott, and won Best Original Song for "Shallow". It also received nominations and awards at the Golden Globe Awards, BAFTAs and Grammy Awards, and has since been included in retrospective lists of the best musicals, romance films, and remakes.