Jake Gyllenhaal has signed on to play music icon Leonard Bernstein in a new biopic directed by True Detective alum Cary Fukunaga.
If the name Leonard Bernstein doesn't immediately sound familiar to you, then some of his works should. He wrote the music for the likes of West Side Story, Peter Pan, On The Town, On The Waterfront and won 19 Grammys throughout his life, as well as influencing an entire generation of musicians in the process.
The film is expected to begin production in the coming months, so it'll likely miss the upcoming cycle for Oscar season, but don't be in the least bit surprised if this makes it into the 2020 discussion. Yes, we're thinking that far ahead because come on, obviously. What'll likely make up a lot of the film as well will be Bernstein's political activism, which included a blacklisting from CBS and the US State Department in the early '50s, as well as support and activism for the Black Panther Party in the '70s.
This was, however, left out of the announcement statement. Gyllenhaal said that "(like) many people, Leonard Bernstein found his way into my life and heart through West Side Story when I was a kid but as I got older and started to learn about the scope of his work, I began to understand the extent of his unparalleled contribution and the debt of gratitude modern American culture owes him."
No release date has been set for the film.
Via Deadline