Actor’s repertoire of musical roles may expand to story of Saturday Night Fever disco superstars – after he’s played composer Leonard Bernstein

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

Bradley Cooper is in line to play bouffant-haired Bee Gee Barry Gibb in a forthcoming film about the huge-selling band, it has been reported.

Cooper, who is preparing to direct and star in a biopic of celebrated composer Leonard Bernstein, has apparently been approached for the role of the eldest of the singing Gibb brothers in a production being developed by Bohemian Rhapsody’s Graham King. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is also listed among the film’s producers.

According to reports, writer Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything) is attached to the project, which is seeking to capitalise on previous box office success with 70s music-industry stories Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, biopics of Queen and Elton John respectively.

Barry Gibb is the only surviving member of the Bee Gees, the band he formed with his younger twin brothers Maurice and Robin. Another brother, Andy, became a successful solo act at the same time. The Bee Gees’ 1977 record Saturday Night Fever is still the bestselling soundtrack album ever, and spawned a string of hits including Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever.

Cooper received multiple Oscar nominations for his directing debut A Star Is Born, and sang on Shallow, the Oscar-winning song from the film.