Bernstein daily: Spielberg is pondering a biopic

Bernstein daily: Spielberg is pondering a biopic

main

norman lebrecht

March 13, 2018

Aside from working on a film version of West Side Story, the director is widely reported tonight to be looking at filming a bipic of Leonard Bernstein.

Wonder who’ll play Glenn Gould.

Comments

  • Professor V says:

    Leonard Bernstein was more charismatic than the most charismatic actor. I can’t imagine anyone being able to portray him. Perhaps a well-thought-out documentary of his well photographed and recorded life would be a both more realistic and more tenable venture. Spielberg may want to tap Ken Burns to be the director of the documentary.

  • M2N2K says:

    For Glenn Gould, it’s easy – Eddie Redmayne. He has a good experience playing a genius.
    For LB himself, a bit harder.
    How about Miles Teller as a young Lenny and Steve Carell in later years? Both of them would have to learn to speak about an octave lower than their natural voices.

    • Sue says:

      And Eddie is an absolutely superb actor!! Bernstein could be played by Gary Oldham – that man can do ANYTHING. What about Stephen Sondheim? I’m sure Chenoweth and Stallmaster (if the latter is still going) are rubbing their hands.

  • Rob says:

    Queue, I feel Pretty belted out at the top of his voice while standing in a boat in the middle of lake Wörthersee, then quickly merging into Veni creator spiritus ala Ken Russell.

  • Hilary says:

    Depends on what period of Bernstein’s life. Michael Douglas has a certain likeness to the later years.

    ForGG , Ben Whishaw would be an alternative to aforementioned Eddie Redmayne.

    • Sue says:

      Michael Douglas is too old now. He will always be identified with Liberace. Kevin Klein could play Sondheim (with the requisite make-up). Another actor/musician.

  • Helene Kamioner says:

    I vote for Adrian Brody as the younger LB, and perhaps Donald Sutherland as the older LB

  • La Verita says:

    Must you dig up Gould’s stinking performance of the Brahms Concerto?

  • almaviva says:

    … And Larry David as Aaron Copland.

  • Sue says:

    I’m nearly 100, so that was a good call!! OK, let’s do it again; Keanu Reeves for G
    len Gould, Kim Kardashian as Stephen Sondheim. Sigh.

  • Rob says:

    And Woody Allen as a ‘older’ Gustav Mahler, who comes back in a Lenny dream to explain how the 10th Symphony has to be re-written, from scratch.

  • Jayeff says:

    Is Lenny’s life free from the problems that have brought down Levine/Dutoit etc?

  • Adam Stern says:

    J. K. Simmons as Dimitri Mitropoulos!

  • boringfileclerk says:

    I say that Nicolas Cage should play Lenny, although I don’t know if he’d be into the gay scenes.

  • jansumi says:

    Someone other than Spielberg, please. Pablo Larrain maybe..

  • Siegfried says:

    Where is Paul Lynde now that he’s needed?

  • MOST READ TODAY: