'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQF/8QAIxAAAQMDAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEQAEBgUhBxIVFjFRcf/EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/xAAXEQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIi/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDJzXiFqNrkHT7NxtNi6hopluVJiSd/ZII+RVfdVod184WfMNiJpSjckC8l/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Will Arnett and Laura Dern are opening up on working with Bradley Cooper on his next directorial project, a refreshing comedy drama called Is This Thing On? that tells the story of a man in a marriage that's breaking apart, who discovers his hobby of doing stand up comedies. The film stars Arnett as the lead, joined by Laura Dern as his wife and the stars are all praise for Cooper, for whom this is his directorial project.
On the red carpet for New York Film Festival, Dern talked about being a part of the film as she told The Hollywood Reporter,
“It’s amazing. I think what Bradley longed to do is discover what it is to find your way to self so that you can even know how to engage in [a] true relationship. Many of us catch up to that years into a relationship or years into our own living. So that’s what I particularly loved about the movie’s journey.”
Arnett chipped in, as he called Cooper “an incredible artist" and further added of the film,
“I had the benefit of knowing Laura a little bit before, which is great. And so we got to know each other and I think that we have in a lot of ways some shared sensibilities. We spent a long time talking about this film before we started shooting and really getting ourselves in a place of understanding who these people are and where they’re at in their relationship.”
More details about Is This Thing On?
Is This Thing On? marks Bradley Cooper’s return to the director’s chair with a bittersweet, sharply funny take on love, loss, and reinvention. Co-written by Cooper, Will Arnett, and Mark Chappell, the 2025 comedy-drama finds its emotional heartbeat in the quiet absurdity of starting over when you thought you had life figured out. Loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, the film stars Arnett as Alex Novak, a man navigating the delicate art of unspooling a marriage without unraveling everything else around him.
Alex, played by Arnett and his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern) have decided to part ways, kindly, maturely, and with the best of intentions, though that doesn’t make co-parenting their two sons or maintaining their shared social circle any less awkward. As Alex stumbles through a post-divorce life, he latches onto an unexpected hobby that pushes him to confront who he is outside the roles he’s played for years. Along the way, his best friend Arnie, played by Cooper tries to keep him grounded, while a dynamic supporting cast adds warmth and humor, including Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, and Ciarán Hinds.
With its blend of dry wit and heartache, Is This Thing On? feels like a tender postscript to modern relationships, part comedy of manners, part emotional reckoning, and unmistakably Cooper’s most human work yet.
Trending
Is This Thing On? will be in theaters on December 19, 2025.
Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!
Reply
