Jake Gyllenhaal as Leonard Bernstein in Cary Fukunaga's Next

Jake is also in preproduction for director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s “The American,” where he will play Leonard Bernstein, one of America’s great composers. “I developed this story about Bernstein for basically the past five years,” said Jake, who is producing the film adaptation of Humphrey Burton’s biography of the man behind the music of “West Side Story.”

“I started my production company and the first project that we began with, and the character that I have always wanted to do, was that character. So we developed it over five years.
“The idea first came to me when I was working with Sam Mendes on ‘Jarhead.’ I told Sam about it, and he loved that idea. Then, I didn’t do anything about that, and that was 15 years ago. But I find Bernstein so indelibly fascinating as a character and a contradiction—the search for identity that is truly American and Jewish. And being Jewish myself, I find him to be an extraordinary figure. I don’t know how everything will go and evolve.”

Bradley Cooper is also set to star in another Bernstein project, written by Josh Singer, which will be his follow-up directing job after his acclaimed filmmaking debut, “A Star Is Born.”
“It’s this strange situation that came up with both movies at the same time,” Jake commented. “I just want Bernstein’s story told in the most honest, beautiful way. He is one of America’s best and most revered artists. It’s like what do you do when two competing projects are up at the same time, and when you have two very interesting possibilities. All I can say is, I just want to see Bernstein’s story, whatever it is and whatever incarnation it’s told because I have loved it for a long time. He is incredible.”