'Is This Thing On?' Interview: Will Arnett and Laura Dern

Moviefone speaks with Will Arnett and Laura Dern about 'Is This Thing On?' "It was like building a barn and everybody helps," Arnett said of making the movie.

(L to R) Laura Dern and Will Arnett star in 'Is This Thing On?'

Opening in theaters on December 19th is the new comedy-drama ‘Is This Thing On?', which was directed by Bradley Cooper (‘A Star is Born’) and based on a script written by Cooper, Mark Chappell (‘See How They Run’), and Will Arnett (‘The Lego Batman Movie’).

Is This Thing On?

RDrama Comedy

Release Date: Dec 19, 2025

Run Time: 2 hr 1 min

Starring: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day

In addition to Arnett and Cooper, the movie also stars Oscar winner Laura Dern (‘Marriage Story’), Andra Day (‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’), Amy Sedaris (‘Chef’), Sean Hayes (‘Will & Grace’), Christine Ebersole (‘Licorice Pizza’), Ciarán Hinds (‘Belfast), and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Will Arnett and Laura Dern about their work on 'Is This Thing On?', how Arnett got the idea for the film and developing the screenplay with Bradley Cooper and Mark Chappell, Dern’s first reaction to the screenplay and her experience working with Arnett.

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Will Arnett stars in 'Is This Thing On?' Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald/ Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

MF: To begin with, Will, can you talk about how you got the idea for this movie and the process of developing the screenplay with Bradley Cooper and Mark Chappell?

Will Arnett: I became aware of John Bishop's story, the great comedian, John Bishop. I had a chance to meet him, and he told me the story of how he became a stand-up and what it did for him and at that point of his life. He was going through a divorce, and he had no connection to stand-up and how going up and speaking in front of audiences transformed him as a person and really helped reshape his relationship with his soon to be ex-wife. That really stuck with me. So, I was like, “Oh, this is a great story that needs to be told”, and I talked about with Mark Chappel, my writing partner, and we started writing it. Then we got to a place where we were kind of at a fork in the road. Bradley stepped in and said, “I think the movie should go here." So, he started writing it with us, and then he said, “I think that Laura would maybe do this”, and she jumped in and starred in it for me. So, it was almost like those videos of people building a barn and everybody comes and helps. It was kind of like that. It was like one guy said, “I think we need a barn,” and somebody's like, “Yeah, I'm going to help you.” Then this person, and another person comes in and says, “The roof needs to be a little bit better.” That's how we did it.

(L to R) Will Arnett and Laura Dern in 'Is This Thing On?' Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, Laura, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay, the relationship between these two characters and exploring that relationship with Will on screen?

Laura Dern: Well, when I read it, it reminded me of building a barn. You know, I had never seen an attempt at capturing what it feels like to fight for a relationship, dismantle a relationship, long for a relationship, without the writer manipulating language as if we people know what the hell we're feeling or how to talk about it. No matter how much therapy anyone has ever had, it's not a language many of us know when we are in the middle of it. They captured it so beautifully. They allowed us as characters simultaneously with the audience to not know how we got here, not know what happened before, not know who we are in context anymore to the marriage and must find our way toward ourselves to figure out if there is a marriage to save. That felt so real, unfortunately, so incredibly relatable and profound. As an actor, there is a beauty to lyrical, incredible language. You get to do a Shakespeare play for the first time when you're studying, and you feel lucky and blessed. The good fortune of dialogue written where you feel a character not knowing how to find words for themselves, is so deep and beautiful, and takes such skill in the writing. To then do that and be with Will in that and his incredibly deeply honest, broken open eyes, I mean, that was just the best gift ever.

'Is This Thing On?' opens in theaters on December 19th.

What is the plot of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

After many years together, Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) have reached an amicable end to their marriage, thus beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys and maintaining their friendships. Alex discovers a new hobby and, in the process, learns more about himself and his relationship.

Who is in the cast of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

Will Arnett as Alex Novak
Laura Dern as Tess Novak
Andra Day as Christine
Bradley Cooper as Balls
Amy Sedaris as Kemp
Sean Hayes as Stephen
Christine Ebersole as Marilyn
Ciarán Hinds as Jan
Scott Icenogle as Geoffrey
Chloe Radcliffe as Nina
Jordan Jensen as Jill
Peyton Manning as Laird
Reggie Conquest as Dan
James Tom as Rolo
Gabe Fazio as Gabe the Bouncer
Blake Kane as Felix
Calvin Knegten as Jude

(L to R) Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper on the set of 'Is This Thing On?' Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald/ Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.