Bradley Cooper is "terrified" about writing and directing his next passion project.

The Hangover actor has focused on writing, directing, producing and starring in his own projects in recent years, from his 2018 directorial debut A Star Is Born to 2023's Maestro and the upcoming Is This Thing On?

During a recent appearance at a BAFTA Life in Pictures event in London, Cooper teased what he's working on next and admitted that he is daunted by the project.

"There is something that's been burning in me since Maestro and I'm writing it now and we'll see. Talk about terrified, so terrified, way more terrifying," he said.

Cooper didn't go into detail about the project, but he confirmed to host Edith Bowman that it wouldn't be a musical.

The Oscar-nominated actor noted that writing the script is "the hardest part" of the filmmaking process, but still "very gratifying".

"I have learned a lot as a writer from A Star Is Born to Maestro, then to Is This Thing On?" he added. "I really love writing dialogue, I realise, there's nothing better than writing dialogue."

Earlier in the conversation, the Silver Linings Playbook star admitted that he always gets nervous at the start of a project, but preparation helps him ease those worries.

"I mean, I get nervous before - I get terrified in the beginning of a project, like terrified. That's the scariest thing. But the more work I put in, the less scared I get and the more the excitement starts to overtake the fear," he explained. "By the time I'm showing up on set, I'm so excited that that really is the propulsive engine rather than fear."

Loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, Is This Thing On? follows Alex Novak (Will Arnett), who discovers a new hobby in stand-up comedy after separating from his wife Tess (Laura Dern). Instead of taking the lead role like his previous two films, Cooper plays Alex's best friend Balls.

Is This Thing On? will be released on 19 December in the U.S. and 30 January in the U.K.