EXCLUSIVE: After years of friendship that goes way beyond the two A-listers making it big in Hollywood, Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett are coming on to develop the Searchlight pic Is This Thing On?, with both set to co-star in the film with Cooper also directing. Arnett penned the script with Mark Chappell. The film is still in early development, and while Arnett turned in a draft before the WGA strike commenced, Cooper likely will take a crack at script with Arnett and Chappell and won’t be able to till after strike ends.
Cooper also is producing along with Arnett and Kris Thykier, who is through his Archery Pictures banner. John Bishop will exec produce. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
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Cooper is a nine-time Oscar nominee for writing, producing and/or starring in American Sniper, American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, Nightmare Alley, Joker and A Star Is Born, which alone earned him three noms. He is in post-production on the Netflix drama Maestro, which is follow-up directing gig to A Star Is Born. Cooper not only stars as composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro but also directed, produced and co-wrote the script. The film already is predicted to be a major player this awards season.
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He most recently was seen reprising his role as Rocket Raccoon in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. He is repped by Range Media Partners.
a seven-time Emmy nominee, Arnett burst onto the scene with his Emmy-nominated role as Gob on the iconic Fox series Arrested Development. He also voiced the title character of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. His film credits include The Lego Movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises, Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro. He most recently appeared in the documentary SmartLess: On the Road, which follows Arnett, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman on the North American tour of their podcast SmartLess. Arnett will produce Peacock’s upcoming series Twisted Metal, which premieres in July, and will co-star in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins for Searchlight Pictures, due out at the end of the year. Arnett and Chappell also worked on Flaked together.
Arnett is represented by CAA, Artists First, and Sloane Offer Weber & Dern.