Bradley Cooper And Gavin O’Connor Are Joining Forces For A World War II Drama

Warner Bros. has had an interesting year, with both War Dogs and The Accountant bringing in some decent money into an otherwise so-so year for the studio (superhero movies, aside). So naturally, like any good geneticist will tell you, cross-breeding strong products is usually a good way to go about encouraging stronger, healthier offspring to exist. With that logic in mind, an announcement was made today that Bradley Cooper and Gavin O'Connor will be teaming up for a rather exciting World War II movie. Once you hear the story behind the picture, you just might find yourself as excited as we are.

Deadline broke the news involving the project, entitled Atlantic Wall. A 2015 Black List entry, the script tells the story of an American paratrooper downed behind enemy lines, hours before the D-Day invasion. His mission is two fold, as he needs to deliver vital intel for the war effort to the right hands, as well as protect the child of a dead colleague. With a blend of personal drama and wartime adventure on deck, Bradley Cooper's acting chops are definitely cut out for the job, and Gavin O'Connor is more than ready for directing duties.

Of course, Cooper's filmography has one particular film Warner Bros is looking to emulate the success of. Obviously, flashbacks to the runaway box office hit that was American Sniper are filling the heads of the execs who vetted this project, and the thought of putting Cooper in Army fatigues and fighting the great fight is enough to get a solid greenlight. The fact that the film's story takes place in the well tilled soil of World War II's European front is more than likely the kicker that put the project into active development, with O'Connor's recent box office win with The Accountant acting as a cherry on top of the movie-making sundae.

Then again, the familiarity of the project's log line may work against its chances at success. After all, there's no shortage of World War II dramas, or even dramas focusing on a soldier behind enemy lines. Which circles back to the fact that the most exciting factors of this project are, for the most part, the involvement of Bradley Cooper and Gavin O'Connor. The talents of both men know how to spruce up what may seem like a pedestrian project, so if Atlantic Wall has any trump cards in its deck, it's certainly these two collaborators.

Atlantic Wall is currently eyeing a 2018 production start, with no proposed release date in sight. Meanwhile, Bradley Cooper can be seen next in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. next May, as well as in his directorial debut, A Star Is Born, which is set to co-star Lady Gaga and open on September 28th. Gavin O'Connor, on the other hand, is currently developing the reboot to The Green Hornet.