EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has green lit A Star Is Born. Production begins early next year in California, marking the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, who’ll also star alongside Lady Gaga. Latter gets her first studio starring role, as the ingenue singer whose star rises as quickly as her troubled lover/mentor’s star is falling. Deals have been closed by Warner Bros president of Creative Development and WW Production Greg Silverman, and Gaga will compose and perform new music for the film. This picture has been a long time coming for Cooper, who is teaming on the script with Will Fetters. Billy Gerber and Jon Peters are producing with Cooper and his Joint Effort partner Todd Phillips. Basil Iwanyk is exec producer. Production will begin early next year in California.

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Deadline was first to reveal that Gaga was the one Cooper wanted, after things didn’t work out with Beyonce. He was eyeing this as his directing debut back when he was working with Clint Eastwood and Warner Bros on American Sniper, and he won over Warner Bros brass with a chemistry test that the studio loved. Aside from her megawatt stature as a Grammy-winning recording star, Gaga has bolstered her standing on the acting front with a performance in the FX hit American Horror Story that won a Golden Globe. She also got an Oscar nomination for ‘Til It Happens To You from the documentary The Hunting Ground. They all felt Cooper was ready to be a director and that Gaga was ready to take the next step as an actress.

“For those of us lucky enough to watch him work as an actor and producer, it has been clear that Bradley would make this transition to director,” Silverman said. “We are honored that he is doing it, here, at his home—Warner Bros.—and with Lady Gaga as a collaborator and co-star. The world is in for a treat as these great artists craft an all new vision of A Star is Born.” Cooper and Gaga are repped by CAA.