Barbra Streisand wanted Beyoncé, Will Smith for ‘A Star Is Born’ remake
While Streisand praised the remake, she said, "I can't argue with success, but I don't care about so much about success as I do originality."
Legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand recently revealed that she thought the 2018 remake of A Star is Born was the “wrong idea.”
The updated version, which starred Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, but only took home the statuette for Best Original Song.
In a recent interview with the Australian TV show The Sunday Project, Streisand said, “At first, when I heard it was going to be done again, it was supposed to be Will Smith and Beyoncé, and I thought, that’s interesting. Really make it different again, different kind of music, integrated actors. I thought that was a great idea.”
“So, I was surprised,” she added, “when I saw how alike it was to the version that I did in 1976.”
While the singer-actress celebrated the success of the film, she said, “I can’t argue with success but I don’t care about so much about success as I do originality.”
The 1976 version of A Star is Born is also a remake. The original film was released in 1937, in which a fading movie star helps an aspiring actress pursue her career. Another version was released in 1954, which starred Judy Garland as an rising singer.
A Streisand fan echoed her sentiments on Twitter, writing, “She is right that her version of A Star Is Born was remade into the 2018 version. Same music genre and so on. The past remakes were very different. This is nothing controversial. She is not saying they copied her version. Just that it would’ve been interesting with Beyoncé.”
Streisand’s version of the film also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Evergreen,” the love theme from A Star is Born.
While Smith has a lengthy, celebrated filmography, Beyonce has only been in a handful films. Her most recent, The Lion King, featured her vocal talents, along with other films like Dreamgirls and The Fighting Temptations. Fans on Twitter were surprised and delighted by the idea she could have starred in the film.
“now beyoncé in a star is born would’ve been a pop culture MOMENT let’s talk about it,” one wrote.
“Anyway I’ve seen all the A Star is Born movies & they are all very different & highlight celebrity in their times,” another shared. “Wish we had got a black version tho.”
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