Bruce Springsteen may be ready to tell more of his story.
Scott Cooper, the writer and director of “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” said his bosses are already talking about a sequel.
“If we can make four Beatles movies, I think we can make two Bruce Springsteen movies,” Cooper said Wednesday at the opening night premiere of “Delivery Me From Nowhere” at AFI Fest.
The four upcoming Beatles films he is referring to are separate films directed by Sam Mendes that portray John Lennon (Harris Dickinson), Paul McCartney (Paul Mescal), Ringo Starr (Barry Keoghan), and George Harrison (Joseph Quinn). It is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2028.
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” is a dramatic depiction of Springsteen recording his 1982 album Nebraska, while battling depression and haunting memories of his traumatic childhood. Jeremy Allen White stars as the singer-songwriter, Odessa Young plays his girlfriend, and Jeremy Strong plays his manager Jon Landau.
“There are a lot of chapters in Bruce’s life that are, seriously, perfect for a movie,” Cooper said, adding, “That’s something honest that Bruce and I have talked about. I think he really loves this movie. He loves this experience. He loves this movie so much.”
“I think he feels incredibly comfortable having someone talk about a very painful chapter in his life. You’ll have to ask him, but I think he’s more than ready for that.”
If his next film includes Springsteen’s Brian De Palma-directed “Dancing in the Dark” music video, has Cooper already thought about who he’ll cast to play Courteney Cox?
“Oh my gosh. That’s a great question,” Cooper said. “I don’t know if Courteney Cox has kids, but she probably does.” (Incidentally, Cox also has a 21-year-old daughter, Coco, with ex-husband David Arquette.)
I also spoke on the carpet with Mr. Strong, who weighed in on the subject of Oscar acting. “It’s something you don’t get used to,” Strong said. Last year, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as disgraced lawyer and Donald Trump mentor Roy Cohn in The Apprentice.
“Listen, of course it means a lot to have our community recognize and appreciate the work, but what I learned from Bruce is that you have to give 10,000 percent to what you’re doing,” Strong continued. “He plays every show like it’s his last show at Madison Square Garden. And I want to play every role like it’s the last thing I can do and give it my all. After all, that’s why I do this.”
The premiere at AFI Fest included a surprise performance by Springsteen of two songs at the end of the screening.
