Pre-production Previous remakes of the
original 1937 film included the
1954 adaptation starring
Judy Garland, and the
1976 rock musical with
Barbra Streisand and
Kris Kristofferson as the leads. Furthermore, the
Bollywood romance film
Aashiqui 2 (2013) was inspired by
A Star Is Born but was not a remake. Development of a new adaptation dated as far back as the late 1990s with
Will Smith the intended lead player. However, Smith's participation was nixed by his decision to star in
Ali.
Lauryn Hill and
Mariah Carey were also sought for the lead roles, Plans for the adaptation were shelved for several years. In January 2011, it was announced that
Clint Eastwood was in talks to direct
Beyoncé in a third American remake of the film
A Star Is Born (1937), with
Bradley Cooper playing the male lead. However, the project was delayed on account of Beyoncé's pregnancy. In April 2012, writer Will Fetters told
Collider that the script was inspired by
Kurt Cobain. Over the course of the film's development, talks with
Christian Bale,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Tom Cruise,
Johnny Depp and Smith to play the male lead failed to come to fruition. Eastwood was interested in
Esperanza Spalding to play the female lead.
Jennifer Lopez,
Rihanna,
Shakira,
Janelle Monáe,
Selena Gomez,
Demi Lovato and
Kesha were also considered for the lead female role. On March 24, 2015,
Warner Bros. Pictures announced that Cooper was in final talks to make his directorial debut with the film. Beyoncé was again in talks to join, though still unsigned. In order to secure his first directorial commitment and in lieu of receiving an upfront salary, Cooper took a back-end deal in order to get the film made, resulting in a $39.9 million salary. Cooper acknowledged that he was initially discouraged from directing the film, as the project had undergone a prolonged development process involving multiple filmmakers and stars. Despite warnings from those close to him and recognizing the risks of helming another remake, he remained committed, saying the project "ignited something" in him and reflected a long-standing personal connection to music and songwriting. A major issue in the development process was Warner Bros.' reluctance to deal with
Jon Peters, who held the rights to the material dating back to his producing the 1976 film. While the studio ultimately reached an agreement with him in order to proceed with the project, his involvement was retained due to contractual obligations. He did not receive the
Producers Guild of America "p.g.a." designation, which signifies that a producer performed the majority of the producing duties and is typically used by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when determining eligible nominees for the
Academy Award for Best Picture. Peters had previously faced multiple sexual harassment allegations, which he denied. Bradley Cooper stated that he had not been aware of the allegations at the time, explaining that Peters's consent was required to make the film, and noted that Peters was not involved during production, remarking, "Luckily, Jon wasn't there."
Casting Cooper became the male lead while in final talks to make his directorial debut at the end of March 2016. On August 16, 2016, it was reported that
Lady Gaga had officially become attached and the studio had green-lit the project to begin production early 2017.
Beyoncé was the first choice for the role and worked with Cooper on it for a year before leaving the project.
Adele was briefly considered to replace her before Cooper met Gaga. On November 9, 2016, it was reported that
Ray Liotta was in talks to join the film in the role of the manager to Cooper's character, though he ultimately was not involved. On March 17, 2017,
Sam Elliott joined the film, with
Andrew Dice Clay entering negotiations to play Lorenzo, the father of Lady Gaga's character. Clay was reportedly selected over
Robert De Niro,
John Turturro and
John Travolta.
Howard Stern was the first choice for Elliott's role but he passed on the role. In April 2017,
Rafi Gavron,
Michael Harney, and
Rebecca Field also joined the cast. In May,
Dave Chappelle was cast in the film. In April 2018, it was announced that
Halsey would have a small role.
Filming filmed during a performance at the 2017
Glastonbury Festival in a scene that was used for the film Principal photography for
A Star Is Born commenced on April 17, 2017. Lady Gaga
headlined Coachella while also filming scenes for the film, allowing the production extended access to the festival grounds. Glastonbury scenes were filmed before a crowd of around 80,000, with Kris Kristofferson allowing the production a brief slot during his set to film on stage. Additional scenes were filmed at
Saturday Night Live using its actual studio, crew, and equipment, with permission from
Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of the show. Director Bradley Cooper sought to place the camera on stage with the performers, aiming for a documentary-like perspective that reflected the performers' viewpoint rather than that of the audience. Cooper was inspired by observing concerts from backstage, which informed the film's immersive staging of musical numbers. The production also utilized the
PIX System for digital workflows, facilitating efficient collaboration among departments during filming.
Music Development and soundtrack album After seeing him perform at
Desert Trip festival, Cooper approached
Lukas Nelson and asked him to help work on the film. Nelson agreed and wrote several songs, which he sent to the producers. Nelson subsequently met Lady Gaga and began writing songs with her and she, in turn, provided backing vocals on two tracks on his self-titled 2017 album. The project further involved collaborators such as
Mark Ronson,
Hillary Lindsey,
Jason Isbell, and
Diane Warren, who contributed to the songwriting and production. Songs for the soundtrack were written during filming and evolved alongside the screenplay, with the music closely tied to the film's narrative and character development. As an example, "Shallow" was initially conceived as a solo end-credits track for Ally in an earlier version of the story, in which Jackson dies by drowning—a concept that informed the song's imagery—before being reworked into a central duet between the protagonists. The music has been described as primarly
blues rock and pop.
A Star Is Born music was issued on an accompanying soundtrack album on October 5, 2018, by
Interscope Records. The release also includes fuller versions of songs heard only briefly in the film, as well as "Before I Cry", which did not make the final cut. and went on to rank among the best-selling albums of 2019 worldwide, selling millions of copies. Preceding its release, "Shallow" was issued as the lead single and achieved both critical acclaim and significant chart success.
In-film usage {{external media "Black Eyes" is performed by Jackson during the film's opening concert sequence. Ally hums the preamble to "
Over the Rainbow" while walking up a ramp from her job as the film's title appears on screen; the moment serves as an homage to Judy Garland, who starred in 1954's
A Star Is Born. At the drag bar where Jackson first meets her, Ally performs a cover of "
La Vie en rose"; while waiting for her backstage, he sings the acoustic ballad "
Maybe It's Time" in the same venue. "Shallow" appears three times in the film and is used to reflect the protagonists' relationship and emotional progression. "Too Far Gone" and "Diggin' My Grave" are briefly heard in Jackson-centered studio and soundcheck scenes, respectively. "Alibi" is performed by Jackson as Ally arrives at the theater to meet and perform with him onstage for the first time, while "Music to My Eyes" appears during the pair's motorcycle trip to Arizona. In the film's final sequence, Ally performs "
I'll Never Love Again" before a large audience, intercut with an intimate scene of Jackson singing the song to her at home.
Costume, hair and makeup Makeup artist Sarah Tanno described Ally's appearance as the result of a "meticulous" daily process, which included covering all of Lady Gaga's tattoos to make her "completely different" from her public image. At the request of Gaga and Cooper, the character was initially presented with a minimal, "raw" look using only basic products such as brow gel and lip balm. Gaga dyed her hair back to its natural color for the role, describing the change, along with wearing little makeup, as part of exposing herself physically and emotionally for the character. As Ally's career progresses, her makeup was gradually developed to appear more polished and self-applied, with new shapes, brighter eyeshadow and lipstick, and a shift from brunette to orange hair marking her transformation into a more manufactured pop star. in an
Edith Head gown at the
1955 Academy Awards. Her dress served as inspiration for Ally's final performance dress in the film. Costume designer Erin Benach similarly approached Ally's wardrobe as a reflection of her narrative arc, aiming to "personify the different beats" of her development from an aspiring musician to an established pop star. During this period, her performance outfits align with her emerging pop image, including a sparkly crop top and transparent cargo pants worn during her
Saturday Night Live appearance, with Benach citing runway trends and 1990s girl groups such as
Destiny's Child as influences. Benach also emphasized a "timeless" approach to the film's costume design, avoiding direct imitation of contemporary pop stars in order to create a more universal and enduring visual identity. For Jackson, Benach based the character's wardrobe on his musical identity, initially experimenting with a more overt rock-inspired style before refining it to better align with his sound. She ultimately developed a consistent "uniform" for the character, emphasizing a "sexy" and "effortless" aesthetic through carefully curated garments. Many of his costumes were custom-made to appear casual and unstyled, including modified vintage-inspired pieces such as button-down shirts, reinforcing a consistent and unchanging personal style. Cooper also wanted Jackson's hat to invert a common country-music convention: rather than putting it on for performance, Jackson wears it offstage and removes it when performing, exposing him at his most vulnerable. ==Release==