Maestro: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Biopic To Close AFI Film Festival

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Maestro: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Biopic To Close AFI Film Festival

American Film Institute announced that Bradley Cooper‘s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro has been selected to close out the upcoming 37th AFI Fest.

The confirmation comes after another high-profile Netflix feature has been chosen to open AFI Fest — Sam Esmail‘s apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind, which stars Julia Roberts.

Following its world premiere at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, Maestro is now slated to screen at the closing night red carpet premiere of AFI Fest on October 29 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The biographical drama will arrive in selected theaters on November 22, followed by its Netflix debut on December 20.

“MAESTRO displays Bradley Cooper’s symphony of talent with the power of a cymbal crash,” AFI head Bob Gazzale said in a statement. “It is AFI’s honor to shine a light upon this extraordinary work of art on the festival’s Closing Night.”

What is Maestro about?

“Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein,” reads the official synopsis. “A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”

Maestro is directed by Cooper from a screenplay he co-wrote with Josh Singer. Joining Cooper and Mulligan are Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Michael Urie, Gideon Glick, Alexa Swinton, Miriam Show, and Sam Nivola. The film is produced by Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Todd Phillips, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Fred Berner, and Amy Durning.