CASTING WATCH: Bradley Cooper is the Third Actor to Leave ‘Jane Got a Gun’ UPDATED

The production of indie western “Jane Got a Gun” continues to be plagued by trouble, as Bradley Cooper — set to replace Jude Law, who previously replaced Michael Fassbender — is now the third actor to abandon the film. Cooper was to play a gang leader out to kill the husband (Noah Emmerich) of Natalie Portman’s character.

Cooper’s scenes were slated to be shot during the second half of principal photography. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “Regretfully, due to date conflicts between the film I am currently shooting for David O’Russell [‘American Hustle’] and ‘Jane Got a Gun,’ I am unable to join Natalie, Joel, Noah and Gavin on this truly exciting project.”

Earlier: After Lynne Ramsay exited and star Jude Law followed suit, Deadline reports that Bradley Cooper is set to fill Law’s shoes in “Jane Got a Gun.” Cooper joins Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and director Gavin O’Connor (“Warrior”) for the film. 

The cast and crew discovered that Ramsay had withdrawn from the film the morning of the first day of shooting. Even with some obstacles to its beginning, “Jane Got a Gun” is two weeks into production. Per Deadline, the producers “pulled off a minor miracle here” as the film schedule was basically kept up even with sudden departures. 

Cooper, hot off the Oscar-nomination for his role in “Silver Linings Playbook,” a lead role in Derek Cianfrance’s buzzy indie “The Place Beyond the Pines” and some overseas cache from his “Hangover” stints, should be a satisfying replacement both stateside and internationally. Cooper will play a man whose gang shoots an outlaw, who returns to his estranged wife for safe-keeping, while she in turn seeks help from her former lover (Edgerton). Phew! Sounds as tricky as the early days of the film’s production.