January 07, 2026
Variety/Youtube
Bradley Cooper discusses his latest movie, 'Is This Thing On?,' with Guillermo del Toro on Variety's 'Directors on Directors' series. He says his current understanding of relationships helped inspire the film.
Bradley Cooper says he drew on his relationships when writing and directing his latest movie — "Is This Thing On?" But the screenwriting process also included a very Philadelphia-esque element.
Cooper recently sat down with director Guillermo del Toro for Variety's "Directors on Directors" series. The pair also joined four writers behind some of 2025's biggest movies to discuss their writing processes on the Hollywood Reporter's Writers Roundtable.
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"Is This Thing On?" follows Alex Novak (Will Arnett), who ventures into stand-up comedy after his relationship with his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), comes to an end. The film, loosely based on the life of British comedian John Bishop, was met with praise from critics and Cooper's colleagues alike when it hit theaters last month.
Del Toro, who directed Cooper in the 2021 thriller "Nightmare Alley," said the structured framing and blocking in "Is This Thing On?" allows it to "feel like life," while also taking visual risks as the story progresses.
"Both of our movies, structurally, take chances and rely on the audience," Cooper said during the Variety interview. "I always love the idea that wherever the camera is has everything to do with where the audience is in that moment in relation to the story."
When Del Toro asked if Cooper has a process for choosing the movies he directs, Cooper said projects have a way of choosing him, instead.
"It sounds hokey ... but for the sheer reason that it takes so much work and energy that it has to be something that feels slightly otherworldly for you to be able to harness what it takes to actually see something through to its fruition," Cooper said. "(Directing) has to happen, for me, in a calm setting. ... Because, things can just pass you by, these wonderful gifts, and if you're not listening, you're not going to be able to see them."
The Jenkintown native also discussed how his life experiences inform his creative choices, saying he could not have written or directed such a "hopeful" movie without his current understanding of relationships. Cooper has been dating supermodel Gigi Hadid, of Bucks County, for more than two years.
"I couldn't have been so open with relationships if I wasn't where I was now to tell a story with hope," he told del Toro.
During the Hollywood Reporter's writers roundtable, published Tuesday, Cooper said dialogue is his favorite aspect of screenwriting, calling it the "heroin" of the process.
"I've always loved the rhythm of conversations," he said. "... It's infectious. ... Where you feel like you're flying. There's nothing like it."
But when it comes to his writing process, Cooper said he frequently puts "The Pat McAfee Show" on in the background.
"I can't (write) in silence!" he said. "It's on for 4 hours. I just have it on the iPad on low. It just happened organically and I needed it every day."
