After months of speculation Angry Aussie Russell Crowe has confirmed reports that he’s in talks to take on Kris Kristofferson’s role in the latest remake of the cinema classic A Star is Born – but in a crushing blow to “Sasha Fierce” fans everywhere, Beyonce is no longer attached to the project.

“I think she’s pulled out of it. I’m still chatting about it. It’s one of those stories that’s been made a lot, but I think it’s still quite a big focus – you can see that in terms of the popularity of things like American Idol,” Russ blabbed to TV’s Extra this week.