Bradley Cooper and Leonard Bernstein – Pictures: Getty Images
Bradley Cooper, in his first Netflix Original, will star and be in the director’s seat for Netflix’s upcoming Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro. Filming has still yet to get underway, but will begin in May 2022. Below we’ll be keeping track of all major production updates, casting news, trailers, and the Netflix release date.
Maestro is an upcoming Netflix Original based on the career of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein. Cooper wrote the screenplay alongside Spotlight producer Josh Singer.
Legendary directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are attached to the project as producers, along with Joker director Todd Phillips. Fred Berner (Pollock), Amy Durning (Magic City), Kristie Macosko Krieger (Bridge of Spies), and Emma Tillinger Koskoff (Joker) are also attached.
The project has been a long time in development with word that it was in development first released back in January 2020. The film was first at Paramount before moving to Netflix.
What is the plot of Maestro?
Told over the span of 30 years, Maestro follows the career of West Side Story and on The Waterfront conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, and his marriage to Chilean-born actress Felicia Montealegre.
Who are the cast members of Maestro?
At the time of writing, only a limited amount of the cast has been announced.
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein
Taking on the role of the legendary director Leonard Bernstein will be Guardians of the Galaxy fan favorite Bradley Cooper. Maestro will be the second feature film directed by Bradley, and his first since A Star Is Born.
Maestro will be the first Netflix Original for Bradley Cooper as both an actor and a director.
Carey Mulligan – Felicia Montealegre
The Great Gatsby actress Carey Mulligan will act alongside Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein as Felicia Montealegre, the Chilean-born actress, and wife of Bernstein.
Maestro will be the second Netflix Original for Mulligan, after previously starring in the critically acclaimed Mudbound. Mulligan is also well known for her role as Kathy in Never Let Me Go and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.
Jeremy Strong – John Gruen
Jeremy Strong will take on the role of John Jonas Gruen, the famed American art critic, author, and composer. One of Gruen’s most famous books is The Private World of Leonard Bernstein.
Strong gave a fantastic performance as Jerry Rubin in Aaron Sorkin’s Netlfix Original historical drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, and also has a lead role on the fantastic HBO drama series Succession as Kendall Roy.
Maya Hawke – Jamie Bernstein
It’s taken a long time to learn more about the cast of Maestro, but we do have confirmation that Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke has been cast as Jamie Bernstein, the daughter of Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre.
What is the production status of Maestro?
Official Production Status: Filming Scheduled (Last updated: May 2022)
We previously reported that filming was scheduled to begin in April 2021, but for some unknown reason, filming was delayed. Once again, updates to IMDb for Maestro showed the status has changed from pre-production to filming as of October 12th, 2021. That was swapped again to April and now we can confirm new production sheets state that Maestro is set to film in May 2022.
The first batch of filming is due to take place towards of the end of May in Tanglewood, Massachusetts. Further filming will take place in September 2022 when the production moves to Italy.
There’s no word on when the production dates are scheduled for filming in London, England, and New York City, USA.
Several companies are credited with working on Maestro, including; Joint Effort, Sikelia Productions, Fred Berner Films, and Amblin Entertainment.
Behind the Scenes Images
We’ve got our first look at the set of Maestro with Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper dressed in costume as Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre respectively.
When is the Netflix release date?
With filming not due to now begin until the summer, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see Maestro launch on Netflix in 2022. Given the subject matter, it could easily be one of the movies Netflix opts to release for awards seasons meaning late 2023. Of course, until the cameras are rolling, that’s all speculation.
Are you excited to watch Maestro on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!