Bradley Cooper to direct film based on comedian John Bishop’s life
Hollywood star Bradley Cooper is set to direct a film based on the life of unlikely British comedian John Bishop. Will Arnett is co-writing the script.
The film, titled Is This Thing On?, will reportedly be a romantic comedy about a man who turns to stand-up comedy after his marriage breaks down. This follows the real trajectory of Bishop’s life, as he performed for the first time in Manchester at the Frog and Bucket comedy club in 2000 after temporarily separating from his wife.
Bishop’s career took off a few years later. He went on to appear in TV shows and panels, eventually became a prolific host, and sold out arenas across the country. Bishop also appeared in shows like Doctor Who and Skins, but performing live remains his focus. The success continued in his personal life as he eventually reconciled with his wife Melanie, with whom he has been ever since.
Despite the comedian’s British origins, the cast is star-studded with some of Hollywood’s best and brightest actors. Cooper is playing his character’s best friend, and Bishop is executive producing. Oscar-winning actress Laura Dern is also in the cast alongside Will & Grace star Sean Hayes.
This will be Cooper’s third time in the director’s chair after the remake of A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga and 2023’s music biopic Maestro.
It is also now known that comedian Chloe Radcliffe will be featured in the film, playing a stand-up. Radcliffe revealed the rom-com is in the works on an episode of Richard Herring’s RHLSTP podcast. Is This Thing On? currently has no release date.
In other news from the comedy world, the screenwriter John Niven created a new comedy play called The Battle, which depicts the blazing Britpop rivalry between Oasis and Blur. It will tell the story of the infamous summer of 1995, in which the two Britpop heavyweights took each other on in what is often cited as one of the most notable and hard-fought chart battles of all time, when they each released their respective hits ‘Country House’ and ‘Roll With It’ on the same day.
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