Bradley Cooper’s New Movie Is Releasing On Two Streaming Services
The latest Bradley Cooper movie will find its way to streaming on two different services. It's an unusual type of deal for the current setup
This article is more than 2 years old
Nightmare Alley starring Bradley Cooper is being released on two streaming platforms this February. The film will debut on HBO Max and Hulu after spending two months in theaters. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the neo-noir psychological thriller is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. It is the second feature film adaptation of the novel, following Edmund Goulding’s 1947 version.
The decision to share the streaming rights for Bradley Cooper’s latest offering isn’t too surprising given the existing deal between Disney and WarnerMedia. According to Variety, HBO Max will get its hands on Fox’s film slate (which is owned by Disney) for one more year – under an unusual deal to share streaming windows with Disney Plus and Hulu for half the studio’s titles. The agreement will run through the 2022 release year and is not expected to be renewed. Going forward, Disney will keep all 20th Century Studios movies exclusively on its own streaming service.
With a screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan, Nightmare Alley follows Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), an ambitious carnival worker who manipulates people with a few carefully chosen words. After using his unique talent to make money, Stan crosses paths with a corrupt psychiatrist named Lilith Ritter. This chance encounter puts him in grave danger. He soon realizes his life and livelihood are being threatened in unimaginable ways.
Bradley Cooper leads the star-studded roster of Nightmare Alley as Stan alongside Cate Blanchett as Lilith Ritter and Toni Collette as Zeena Krumbein. The film also features the talents of Willem Dafoe as Clement “Clem” Hoately, Richard Jenkins as Ezra Grindle, Rooney Mara as Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Cahill, and Ron Perlman as Bruno. Mary Steenburgen and David Strathairn, Clifton Collins Jr, and Tim Blake Nelson also star.
Speaking about the full-frontal nude scenes in Nightmare Alley, Bradley Cooper admitted that the experience was pretty heavy. Detailing an intimate bathtub scene with Toni Collette’s character, the 47-year old actor said he remembers reading in the script and thinking, he’s a “pickled punk in that bathtub.” But he never pushed back on it at all because there was nothing gratuitous about it. The scene was to story. “I can still remember that day just to be naked in front of the crew for six hours. It was just like, ‘Whoa’. It was pretty heavy,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
However, Bradley Cooper had no qualms about appearing in the nude during the making of the movie because he felt it was necessary to make the project a success. He explained that the content of the movie and what they were exploring demanded that the actors be naked emotionally and soulfully. It was the only way to achieve the realism they were going for. The Hangover star also said that it was a unique experience making the film during the Covid-19 crisis.
Nightmare Alley has received mostly positive reviews so far. Critics have praised del Toro’s direction, cinematography, musical score, costume design, production design, and the performances by Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett. The movie will be available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu on February 1st.
