UPDATE: A few weeks ago, a rumor began circulating that Steven Spielberg and Bradley Cooper’s “Bullitt” reboot, announced in 2022, was on shaky ground—to the point that only one of them, either Spielberg or Cooper, might remain attached, but not both. Apparently, the two had some kind of falling out.
This was quite the rumor, considering Spielberg has been an important mentor to Cooper, offering guidance that helped shape his growth from actor to filmmaker. Cooper has spoken about how Spielberg’s confidence in him—especially as he began stepping behind the camera—gave him the courage to trust his instincts and think more expansively about storytelling. That relationship led to Spielberg executive producing Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro.”
Since then, I’ve been asking around about the status of “Bullitt,” and I can now say with confidence that the project is firmly on the back burner. In fact, coming off last year’s “Is This Thing On,” Cooper is now working on another “passion project,” akin to “Maestro,” which he plans to direct later this year or in early 2027.
Meanwhile, Spielberg is in post-production on his next film, “Disclosure Day,” which is set to hit theaters on June 12 via Universal Pictures. He hasn’t decided what his follow-up will be after that, but one source familiar with the matter tells me it certainly won’t be the “Bullitt” reboot.
That said, this was always Spielberg’s project—he was the one who approached Cooper to star in the film—so he could, in theory, recast the lead role with another actor, and perhaps he will someday. But he was clearly banking on Cooper’s involvement, and that’s no longer an option.
Spielberg’s film was supposed to center on the classic character famously played by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film, but the story was going to be entirely different—hence why it was carefully described as a “reboot” rather than a “remake.”
Set up at Warner Bros., the film—written by Josh Singer (“Spotlight,” “The Post”)—had real potential. Spielberg making a pure action movie, complete with old-school car chases and raw, muscular filmmaking, would have been a wonderful sight to see.