According to Deadline, Academy Award-nominee Bradley Cooper is set to direct and star alongside Will Arnett in the film “Is This Thing On?” The screenplay is written by Arnett and Mark Chapell, but the film is still in early development. Cooper and Arnett are developing the film alongside Searchlight Pictures. No plot details have been revealed at the moment.
There is no set time frame for “Is This Thing On?” as the screenplay will most likely not be revisited until the Writers Guild strike ends. Cooper is currently working on post-production for his sophomore feature “Maestro” for Netflix, which is rumored to have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year. It is the follow-up to his Academy Award-nominated directorial debut “A Star Is Born,” which also starred Cooper in the leading role alongside Lady Gaga. Arnett will star in Taika Waititi’s upcoming Searchlight film “Next Goal Wins” and is a co-host on the podcast “Smartless” alongside Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.
The pairing of Cooper and Arnett is both interesting and exciting. Arnett is an incredibly underrated comedic talent, and with Cooper’s directing skills, this project could be something special as it may allow him to return to his comedic roots, which were brought to the mainstream with films such as “Wedding Crashers” and “The Hangover” movies. It is unknown whether this film is indeed a comedy or a bit more serious as Cooper’s latest projects have been. Given that the project won’t be worked on till the strike officially ends, it will likely be stuck in the development stage for the unforeseeable future. Cooper and Arnett have a breezy chemistry between them that can now be seen in the “Smartless” docuseries on Max if you want a primer for what is potentially coming.
What do you think about “Is This Thing On?” Are you intrigued by the pairing of Cooper and Arnett? Please let us know in the comments section below or over on our Twitter account.
