Bradley Cooper’s ‘Is This Thing On?’ Trailer Features Will Arnett and Laura Dern

Bradley Cooper is back in the director’s chair with his new comedy-drama, Is This Thing On?, which stars Will Arnett, Laura Dern, and Cooper himself. The film is inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop and tells a story about love, friendship, and figuring out life after a long-term relationship ends.

The movie centers on Alex and Tess, a couple who have decided to end their marriage on good terms. The film follows their journey as they learn to live separately, raise their two sons, and keep their friendships intact. Along the way, Alex finds a new hobby and begins to understand himself and his relationships in a deeper way.

In addition to Arnett and Dern, the cast includes Bradley Cooper as Alex’s best friend Balls, Andra Day as Balls’s wife Christine, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, and Ciarán Hinds. Notably, Scott Icenogle plays Geoffrey, the newlywed husband of Stephen, who is played by Sean Hayes—Hayes’ real-life husband.

You can check out the trailer here.

Production began in 2024, with filming taking place in New York City and wrapping in April 2025. Cooper not only directed but also co-wrote the script with Arnett and Mark Chappell. He even served as the B camera operator during production.

Is This Thing On? had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 10, where it closed the festival. Searchlight Pictures is set to release the movie in the United States on December 19.

Early reviews are positive. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of 44 critics gave the film a favorable rating. The site’s consensus reads, “Mining sly humor from its mature portrait of a failing marriage, Is This Thing On? is another terrific relationship study from Bradley Cooper and an ideal platform for Will Arnett’s dramatic chops.” Metacritic gave the film a score of 74 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating “generally favorable” reception.

Overall, the movie looks like a mix of comedy and drama that explores how people deal with change and personal growth after a marriage ends. The combination of Cooper’s direction and Arnett’s performance seems to have struck a positive chord with critics.

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