Bradley Cooper follows up his directing of the music world with the stand-up comedy world in the new trailer for Is This Thing On? The A Star is Born and Maestro director takes a supporting role this time with Will Arnett getting to showcase a rare dramatic performance. Joining Arnett in the film are Laura Dern, Cooper, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds and Scott Icenogle. Searchlight Pictures has just released a new poster for the film, which features our two co-leads, and you can check it out below.
The official synopsis reads,
“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.”
Is This Thing On? is produced by Weston Middleton, Kris Thykier, Cooper and Arnett. Along with starring and producing, Cooper and Arnett also co-wrote the script with Mark Chappell. British comedian John Bishop inspired the film’s story and the comedian is also on board as an executive producer. The movie is due to hit theaters on December 19, but it will first have its world premiere as the New York Film Festival’s closing-night film this week on October 10 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Cooper stated that he and the creatives on the film are “honored and humbled” to premiere the film at NYFF because the film was also shot there on location and the city plays a big part of the film. Cooper added, “NYC injects an energy into every aspect of filmmaking that just can’t be replicated.”
Cooper also told Vanity Fair, “This movie is not a midlife crisis — it’s a midlife catharsis. Sometimes you realize you’re coasting and you’ve lost your rudder and your North Star in life, and that takes a toll on whoever is in your orbit.”
This will be Cooper’s third feature directorial film after his 2018 debut, A Star is Born, and the 2024 film, Maestro. Both were up for Academy Awards.
