“Is This Thing On?” is the latest upcoming movie from Bradley Cooper. The movie isn’t out until December 19 but there was a special screening at this year’s AFI Fest where its stars Laura Dern and Will Arnet held a Q & A shortly after the movie.
Key Takeaways
- Laura Dern also stars in “Jay Kelly” that also premiered at AFI Fest
- Will Arnett were once roommates early in their careers
- Will Arnett co-hosts the SmartLess Podcast with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes
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Will Arnett co-wrote the script with Bradley Cooper and Mark Chappell, which was loosely inspired by a story from English comedian John Bishop.
Arnett met Bishop and told him the story of how he became a comedian by accident. He wanted to access a pub where there was an open mic night and if you performed on stage you get in for free. And the rest was history.
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The movie isn’t about that but the relationship that he has with his wife. Arnett started on the script and showed it to Cooper who came on as cowriter and director. From their the story became less about the growing career as a comedian and more about the marriage and repairing a damaged relationship.
The filming was intimate, with Cooper choosing single camera, tight frames where he’d be right next to the actors.
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In the movie’s synopsis, As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.
The movie stars Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, and Scott Icenogle.
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Screenplay by: Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, Mark Chappell
Produced by: Bradley Cooper, Weston Middleton, Will Arnett, Kris Thykier
About AFI Fest 2025
This year’s festival lineup includes 7 Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 14 Luminaries selections, 15 Discovery films, 20 World Cinema selections, 15 Documentaries, 6 After Dark titles, 44 films in the Short Film Competition, and 23 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. There are 5 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres and 5 U.S. Premieres. Of the official selections, 39% are directed by women and 29% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Catch up on things on film festivals in our Movies category, including movie spotlights, celebrity interviews, reviews, trailers, red carpet photos, and event highlights.
