Jake Gyllenhaal To Play Leonard Bernstein In Cary Fukunaga’s ‘The American’

When Jake Gyllenhaal hasn’t been impressing us with his searing performances in the likes of David Gordon Green’s Stronger and Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals in recent years. He’s been showcasing his innate musicality on Broadway, as ‘Sunday In The Park With George’ proved.

Now he is set to bring it to the cinematic masses, by taking on the role of acclaimed composer Leonard Bernstein in ‘The American’.

A much-loved figure who began conducting for the New York Philharmonic at the age of 25, the film will tell the life story of Bernstein who created music for musicals such as ‘West Side Story’ and ‘On The Town’.

Gyllenhaal will be developing the project through his production company ‘Nine Stories’ with Riva Marker and he is clearly relishing the prospect of playing him. He said in a statement:

‘Bernstein was a fascinating figure – full of genius and contradiction – and it will be an incredible honour to tell his story with a talent and friend like Cary’.

As mentioned by Jake. Directing the film will be Beasts Of No Nation and True Detective’s Cary Fukunaga with Vinyl’s Michael Mitnick adapting the script from Humprey Barton’s biography ‘Leonard Bernstein’.

Gyllenaal is next on our screens in Paul Dano’s directorial debut ‘Wildlife’ alongside Carey Mulligan, which will be screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Source: Deadline