Bradley Cooper to produce, star in “American Sniper” Navy SEAL pic

PanARMENIAN.Net - Bradley Cooper has found his first project for his Warner Bros.-based production company, 22nd & Indiana, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Cooper is setting up American Sniper, an adaptation of the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, with Jason Dean Hall on board to write the script. Cooper is producing along with Andrew Lazar and Peter Morgan.

Cooper likely would star as well.

The book, whose complete title is American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, reveals how Texas native Kyle came to record the highest number of sniper kills for an American. The book has been praised for its frankness in telling a first-person account of a warrior who shoots from far and close distances.

Giving the book its emotional core are passages from Kyle’s wife, who slowly watches as her husband’s affection turns from her to the SEALs and war.

Kyle and the book's co-writers Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice are the rightsholders. The book spent 18 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and 13 weeks at number one.

Cooper, star of The Hangover movies and Limitless, set up his new production shingle March 1 at Warner Bros. Sheroum Kim is the company’s development exec. Kim will oversee for the shingle.

Hall is serve as an executive producer.

Cooper, repped by CAA, has been very active lately. He has four movies set for release in the next year, including The Silver Linings Playbook, director David O. Russell's follow-up to The Fighter that hits theaters in November.

Jon Berg will shepherd for the studio.

Hall, repped by CAA, Management 360 and Jackoway Tyerman, wrote the Ashton Kutcher starrer Spread. He wrote Paranoia, a trhiller which Robert Luketic is directing and will star Harrison Ford and Liam Hemsworth. That movie is due to start shooting in July.