Barbra Streisand isn't a fan of Lady Gaga's A Star is Born remake: "I thought it was the wrong idea"

17 August 2021, 12:38

Barbra Streisand explains why she was not a fan of Lady Gaga's A Star is Born remake
Barbra Streisand explains why she was not a fan of Lady Gaga's A Star is Born remake. Picture: Getty
Hannah Lovejoy

By Hannah Lovejoy

Barbra Streisand has shared her thoughts on the recent remake of A Star Is Born featuring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

Barbra starred in the leading role in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born. She played the role of Esther Hoffman and featured alongside Kris Kristofferson who played the role of John Norman Howard.

Speaking to The Project, Barbra said that she was “surprised” how similar the remake was to the 1976 A Star Is Born movie.

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“At first, when I heard it was going to be done again, it was supposed to be Will Smith and Beyoncé. I thought, that’s interesting. Really make it different again, different kind of music, integrated actors, I thought that was a great idea,” Barbra explained.

“So, I was surprised when I saw how alike it was to the version that I did in 1976.”

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Barbra also mentioned that she thought the remake was the “wrong idea” but she “can’t argue with success” due to how well Lady Gaga’s version did at the box office.

She added: “I thought it was the wrong idea, but, look, it was a big success, so I can’t argue with success, but I don’t care so much about success as I do originality.”

Read more: When Barry Gibb tenderly kissed Barbra Streisand live on stage at the 1981 Grammy Awards

The 2018 A Star Is Born remake had several big names attached to it and was stuck in development for a number of years. Musicians and actors attached to the project included Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Alicia Keys, Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna.

Barbra Streisand explains why she was not a fan of Lady Gaga's A Star is Born remake
Barbra Streisand explains why she was not a fan of Lady Gaga's A Star is Born remake. Picture: Getty

The biggest name attached to the A Star Is Born remake was Beyoncé, however it’s believed that she later dropped out of the project in 2012 due to scheduling conflicts. Beyoncé was set to star opposite Will Smith in the first remake plan.

Lady Gaga later joined the project as Ally and Bradley joined as Jack. A Star Is Born’s remake was released in 2018 and went on to win multiple awards including an Oscar and BAFTA.