There will be one less passenger aboardBrad Pitt’s upcoming action-thrillerBullet Train, as Collider has learned thatLady Gagawill not be along for the ride after all.
Last year, Collider reported that Lady Gaga was nearing a deal to join fellow Oscar winner Pitt in Sony’sBullet Train, which follows a group of assassins who board the same high-speed train, each tasked with a different mission.That story ran in November 2020and was not confirmed by the studio, though it was true at the time. Unfortunately, the pandemic wreaked havoc on production schedules across Hollywood, and by mid-February, another Oscar winner – Sandra Bullock – hadsigned on to join the cast in an undisclosed role.
As it turns out, Bullock was recruited to replace Lady Gaga, who was mired in prep forRidley Scott’sHouse of Gucci, whichbegan shooting in Marchin Italy. Thus, Bullock took over the role of Maria Beetle, who serves as Pitt’s handler in the film, which is based onKōtarō Isaka’s novelMaria Bītoru(Maria Beetle). Though Maria is merely a supporting character and not actually on the train in the book, Sony always envisioned a major star in that role, so when a scheduling issue derailed Lady Gaga’s involvement, the studio made a push for Bullock, who had never shared the big screen with Pitt even though they’re the same age and rose through the Hollywood ranks at the same time.
RELATED:‘House of Gucci’ Trailer Finds Lady Gaga Showing Off Her Italian Accent to Adam Driver
I suspected that Bullock would be stepping in for Lady Gaga when her casting was first announced, but due to the ensemble nature ofBullet Trainand the many twists and turns in the book, I didn’t know if directorDavid Leitchand screenwriterZak Olkewiczhad decided to add any new characters for the film, or gender-swap a male character from the book. As it turns out, the adaptation is fairly straightforward, though The Prince – a young male character in the book – will be played byThe Kissing BoothactressJoey King.
Pitt, King and Bullock are joined byAaron Taylor-Johnson,Logan Lerman,Andrew Koji,Michael Shannon,Brian Tyree Henry,Zazie Beetz,Hiroyuki Sanada,Masi OkaandBad Bunny. We’ve confirmed Taylor-Johnson and Koji’s roles, and have a pretty firm idea of who Lerman, Beetz and Sanada are playing, soclick here for character detailsand some light speculation regarding the rest of the cast, as well as an exclusive excerpt from the book.
Though it’s a bummer that Lady Gaga won’t appear inBullet Train, she leads another star-studded ensemble inHouse of Gucci, which pairs her withAdam Driver, and co-stars Oscar winnersJared Leto,Jeremy IronsandAl Pacino.House of Gucciis expected to be a major awards contender when it opens its doors on Nov. 21. As forBullet Train, that film is due to pull into the station on August 08, 2025, and early word from a recent test screening has been very positive. Don’t be surprised if the first trailer forBullet Traindebuts in front of Sony’s upcoming tentpolesVenom: Let There Be CarnageorSpider-Man: No Way Home.
KEEP READING:How the Sandra Bullock Movie ‘The Net’ Ordered Pizza Online Before It Was a Reality — An Oral History of Pizza.Net
