Bradley Cooper's ‘Is This Thing On?' to close New York Film Festival: Everything to know about the star's latest Oscar contender
WHO'S IN THE CAST?
The film stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern in the lead roles with a supporting cast that includes Andra Day, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Sean Hayes, Peyton Manning, and Amy Sedaris, as well as appearances by stand-up comedians Chloe Radcliffe, Reggie Conquest, and Jordan Jensen.
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WHAT'S THE PLOT?
Arnett and Dern portray Alex and Tess Novak, a couple whose marriage unravels. As they navigate co-parenting their two young sons, Alex decides to radically change his life path by pursuing a new career as a stand-up comedian in New York. The story is inspired by the real-life journey of John Bishop, a British comedian who made an unconventional late-career shift into stand-up.
WHO'S BEHIND THE SCENES?
The film marks Cooper's third directorial effort, following A Star Is Born (2018) and Maestro (2023). The script is written by Cooper, Arnett, and Mark Chappell. It is produced by Cooper's Lea Pictures and will be distributed by Searchlight Pictures.
WHERE WAS IT FILMED?
Much of the film was shot on location throughout New York City, a decision that Cooper said deeply influenced the film's tone and authenticity. 'We are honored and humbled to premiere our film at the New York Film Festival. Earlier this year we had the wonderful opportunity to shoot this story all throughout the city, so it's very exciting to debut it on the closing evening of the festival. NYC injects an energy into every aspect of filmmaking that just can't be replicated. I have attended many premieres at NYFF over the years and to have the support and belief in our film from Dennis Lim and his team is an enormous thing for us. Thank you! On behalf of Will, Laura, and the entire cast and crew—we can't wait!'
AWARDS CHANCES?
If Cooper's past is any indication, Is This Thing On? may be a serious contender in the upcoming awards season. His 2023 biopic Maestro earned seven Academy Award nominations, while his 2018 directorial debut A Star Is Born received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Dern is an Oscar winner for Marriage Story and an Emmy winner for Big Little Lies. While Arnett has been nominated for seven times for an Emmy and is best known for his work on Arrested Development and his voice role as BoJack Horseman.
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