Arnett Archives - celebpeek

Bradley Cooper’s found a sweet spot for himself, writing and directing movies about those who live and die on stage, but his next film looks like it’ll be a little lighter than Maestro. At the very least, Is This Thing On? is about a stand-up comedian, played by Will Arnett, who’s going through a divorce from his wife (Laura Dern) and trying to find the humor in it.

The official description, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures, says that “The film centers on Alex (Will Arnett) as he 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 new trailer features Arnett’s Alex taking the stage, drawing the audience into his plight by stating the facts about his new living arrangement. In addition to Dern and Arnett, the cast includes Cooper, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, and Scott Icenogle.

Cooper became a prestige cinema darling with his first film, the A Star Is Born remake that got “Shallow” stuck in our heads for all of 2018, and received heaps of acclaim for his 2023 Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro. (He also made a surprise appearance in the Season 4 premiere of The Righteous Gemstones.)