A new trailer for Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up” leaked during the Tokyo Olympic Games revealing a star-studded cast worried about the end of the world. The Netflix original remains one of the year’s most anticipated movies, mainly due to its outstanding ensemble led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. In the film, DiCaprio and Lawrence play two astronomers tasked with going on a globetrotting press tour to warn of a catastrophic comet headed straight for Earth.
Fans got their first peak at the black comedy in January when Netflix teased their 2021 movie slate. Though it didn’t offer much, the clip showed DiCaprio and Lawrence exchanging nervous glances and hesitantly exiting what appears to be a military aircraft of some sort, likely marking the start of their apocalyptic media tour. The placement of the “Don’t Look Up” clip toward the end of the 27-movie preview montage indicates Netflix wanted to tease the best for last. Newly leaked footage shows just how comical DiCaprio and Lawrence’s impossible task will become.
A couple of accounts on Twitter tweeted a new “Don’t Look Up” teaser that aired during the Tokyo Olympics in what appears to be a leak since the footage is currently unavailable in an official format elsewhere. The video begins with DiCaprio’s astronomer character, Dr. Randall Mindy, enduring a panic attack in front of a bathroom mirror before cutting to a sit-down in the oval office with Lawrence, Jonah Hill and Meryl Streep who plays President Janie Orlean.
Adam McKay says, “It’s not the most high-concept bizarre idea — the idea of a disaster movie in which people don’t necessarily believe that the disaster is coming. It goes back to the trope of the mayor from “Jaws.” McKay was also asked about his view of the movie while finishing shooting. “It’s two midlevel, very sincere astronomers who make the discovery of a lifetime, which is a killer asteroid headed toward Earth. It’s them navigating the political landscape.” McKay commented on the production schedule and how it took a turn during the pandemic. “It was about a four-to-five hour process with us just kicking around ideas. We took a break for the quarantine, and lo and behold once we figured out a theoretically safe way to shoot this movie, it was smooth sailing.”
It can’t be underestimated just how impressive this film’s parade of Hollywood talents is. In addition to Hill and Streep, the supporting players include Cate Blanchett, Timothee Chalamet, Chris Evans, Rob Morgan, Ariana Grande and Tyler Perry among many others. The movie runs neck and neck with “Dune” for the most unbelievable casting of 2021. Not to mention the newest footage showing just how game the actors are for McKay’s unique hybrid of social commentary and absurd humor is extremely promising.
While the “Don’t Look Up” teaser will undoubtedly be available online soon enough, Olympics viewers who saw it in person can now humorously brag to their friends about how they were there when it happened. As with “The Big Short,” McKay is sure to use “Don’t Look Up” to tackle burgeoning sociopolitical issues, climate change in particular, while also balancing out the heavy-handed commentary with lighthearted humor.
“Don’t Look Up” will be available later this year on Netflix
By Jimmy Meyer