Sandra Bullock has replaced Lady Gaga in Brad Pitt’s upcoming action-thriller Bullet Train. It was reported last year that Lady Gaga would be playing a crucial role in the film. Bullet Train follows a group of assassins who get on the same train, each tasked with a different mission.
The delay in the production due to the pandemic has resulted in the clash of Lady Gaga’s call sheet as she is currently prepping for Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, which began shooting in March in Italy. So she had to be replaced by Bullock, to play Maria Beetle, Pitt’s handler in the film, which is based on Kōtarō Isaka’s novel Maria Bītoru.
Bullet Train, which is due out April 8, 2022, is an action thriller that stars Pitt as one of a group of assassins who board a bullet train in Tokyo, with their individual missions all connected in some way. According to Collider, Bullock will play the role of Maria Beetle, Pitt’s handler.
As for Gaga’s House of Gucci, that film, co-starring Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto and Jeremy Irons, will debut November 21 and is expected to be a major awards contender. Before that, though, Gaga will release Love for Sale, her joint album with Tony Bennett, on October 1. Earlier this week, she also teased a long-rumored Chromatica remix album.
As it turns out, Bullock was recruited to replace Lady Gaga, who was mired in prep for Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, which began shooting in March in Italy. Thus, Bullock took over the role of Maria Beetle, who serves as Pitt’s handler in the film, which is based on Kōtarō Isaka’s novel Maria 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.
Though it’s a bummer that Lady Gaga won’t appear in Bullet Train, she leads another star-studded ensemble in House of Gucci, which pairs her with Adam Driver, and co-stars Oscar winners Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, and Al Pacino. House of Gucci is expected to be a major awards contender when it opens its doors on Nov. 21. As for Bullet Train, that film is due to pull into the station on April 8, 2022, and the early word from a recent test screening has been very positive. Don’t be surprised if the first trailer for Bullet Train debuts in front of Sony’s upcoming tentpoles Venom: Let There Be Carnage or Spider-Man: No Way Home.