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Bradley Cooper to replace Leonardo DiCaprio in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’

69th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS -- Pictured: (l-r) Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper during the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 15, 2012  (Photo by Vince Bucci/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
69th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS -- Pictured: (l-r) Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper during the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 15, 2012 (Photo by Vince Bucci/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Bradley Cooper is in talks to replace Leonardo DiCaprio in Nightmare Alley, the next film from the Oscar winning director Guillermo del Toro.

Based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley revolves around con-man Stan Carlisle, who pairs with a female psychiatrist to take advantage of the rich and gullible and rises through the ranks of a carnival.

Read More: Del Toro sacrificed his salary to make ‘Shape of Water

Nightmare Alley was adapted into a film noir starring Tyrone Power soon after its initial release, but it bombed due to the controversy over its scandalous content. However it has since blossomed into a cult classic.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cooper is yet to sign on the dotted line for Nightmare Alley, but the thought of him pairing with Del Toro will make every cinephile pine for him to do so promptly.

Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro attends a news conference at the Museum of Arts of the University of Guadalajara, as part of a media tour for his exhibition "At Home with Monsters," in Guadalajara, Mexico May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Fernando Carranza
Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro attends a news conference at the Museum of Arts of the University of Guadalajara, as part of a media tour for his exhibition "At Home with Monsters," in Guadalajara, Mexico May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Fernando Carranza

Especially since both Cooper and Del Toro are coming off the back of their most successful movies yet.

Cooper co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in A Star Is Born, which earned eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, was released to critical acclaim, and earned over £345 million ($434.2 million) at the worldwide box office.

Del Toro’s last film The Shape Of Water also shone both critically and financially. Not only did it make over £155 million ($195.2 million), but it earned rave reviews, and it won the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars at the 90th Academy Awards.

Read More: 'The Shape of Water': Guillermo Del Toro defends the full-frontal nudity in his Oscar-nominated film (exclusive)

Del Toro has written the script for Nightmare Alley alongside burgeoning screenwriter Kim Morgan, while his next project is a stop motion take on Pinocchio for Netflix.

Those of you that are disappointed Leonardo DiCaprio won’t be starring in Nightmare Alley can at least console yourselves with the fact that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which again pairs the Oscar winner with Quentin Tarantino, will be released in the UK on August 14.