Bradley Cooper’s ‘Is This Thing On?’ to Close 2025 NY Film Festival
The 2025 New York Film Festival has selected Bradley Cooper‘s Is This Thing On? as its closing night film.
The movie, which Cooper directed and co-wrote and stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern, will have its world premiere on Friday, Oct. 10 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The Searchlight film follows Arnett and Dern’s married couple as they divorce and embark upon midlife self-examinations, as Arnett’s character makes a dramatic career pivot to become a confessional stand-up comedian in New York City’s West Village, where he finds a new purpose and community. Inspired by the true story of British comedian John Bishop, Is This Thing On? features a screenplay co-written by Arnett and Mark Chappell with Cooper. The cast includes Andra Day, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Sean Hayes, Peyton Manning and Amy Sedaris.
Cooper previously directed the acclaimed A Star Is Born and Maestro, the latter of which had its North American premiere as part of the 2023 New York Film Festival.
“We are honored and humbled to premiere our film at the New York Film Festival,” Cooper said in a statement. “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 [NYFF artistic director] 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!”
Lim added, “We are thrilled to close the festival with Bradley Cooper’s delightful third feature. Is This Thing On? is a film of many dimensions and surprises: a fond tribute to New York City’s comedy scene, a sensitive study of midlife discontent and a modern-day comedy of remarriage, pitch-perfect in its balance of humor and feeling.”
The NYFF previously announced that Luca Guadagnino’s Julia Roberts starrer After the Hunt, which also features Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield, would be its 2025 opening night film and that Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brotherwould serve as its centerpiece film.
The 63rd New York Film Festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center, is set to run from Sept. 26-Oct. 13.
