"American Blood" - Bradley Cooper Adding Another High-Profile Project To His Schedule

Warner Bros. has confirmed a preemptive deal for American Blood – a 50-page thriller by New Zealand-based bestselling author Ben Sanders. After heavy competition, the studio has acquired the story for Bradley Cooper to star and produce through his company 22nd & Indiana, Deadline reports. Cooper and longtime collaborator Adam Kassan will produce alongside Le Grisbi’s John Lesher to produce and Pouya Shahbazian through his New Leaf Literary and Media banner.

Cooper continues his string of high-profile projects.

As for the story, it’s meant to be a multi-part action flick, centered on Marshall Grade, an undercover NYPD cop turned mob informant. At the beginning of the story, Grade is living under the witness protection program in New Mexico, he is pulled into a dangerous investigation, which causes his past in New York to get wind of his whereabouts. Cooper is being groomed to play Grade.

Not only is Cooper starring, he is also most likely to take the lead in American Blood.

The high-profile project continues Cooper’s run over the past couple of years. An Oscar nominee for his role as a well coiffed federal agent in American Hustle, Cooper also stars in the upcoming American Sniper, which is currently in development. Cooper is producing through 22nd & Indiana, with Clint Eastwood directing. American Sniper is yet to get a release date. American Blood (try not to get confused now) is even farther back in development. The book will be published in fall, 2015 by MacMillan. It will be adapted for the screen by by Andrew Sodroski, whose Holland, Michigan topped the Black List and who also wrote Vor V Zakone for Warner Bros.

Warner and Cooper got the project amid heated competition from other studios.