Clint Eastwood to Replace Steven Spielberg on 'American Sniper'

One really has to give it up to Bradley Cooper, not just for reinventing himself as a serious actor, but for working with some of the best directors around to help make it happen. The list of auteurs he's teamed up with of late has been mighty impressive, and it was set to get even better when Steven Spielberg came aboard to helm American Sniper, which Cooper is producing and will star in. The picky (read: flaky) Spielberg dropped out last month, and now it appears another legend may be stepping in to take his place.

According to Twitch, Clint Eastwood has "gotten the nod" to replace Spielberg on the film, an adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's memoir about his career as the most successful sniper in military history, leading to Iraqi insurgents placing a bounty on his head. Eastwood certainly knows his way around the genre, just as Spielberg did, but the two aren't remotely the same as filmmakers. One of the reasons Spielberg departed was a dispute over the budget, a concern that Eastwood has rarely had to deal with because he keeps things minimal for the most part.

Assuming everything comes together, production will likely begin after Eastwood wraps up his Jersey Boys musical, and when Cooper finishes Cameron Crowe's upcoming comedy.