When the trailer for Adam McKay's Don't Look Up was released in September, fans could barely contain their excitement about the star-studded cast. McKay's latest flick stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Matthew Perry and Chris Evans... to name a few.
McKay is no stranger to casting A-listers - he has directed films like Vice, The Big Short, The Other Guys, Anchorman, and Stepbrothers. Yet Don't Look Up, which is being released on Netflix on December 24, seems to have taken the internet by storm.
7 What Is 'Don't Look Up' About?
Though some roles still remain a mystery, the premise of Don't Look Up has been unveiled as a comedy-drama about two scientists who must warn mankind about an impending comet that threatens to destroy humanity. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dr. Randall Mindy, a professor of astronomy at Michigan State University, and Jennifer Lawrence plays one of his graduate students. Meryl Streep plays U.S. President Janie Orlean, and Jonah Hill plays Jason Orlean, the president's son and Chief Of Staff. When President Orleans and her son dismiss the scientists' predictions, Dr. Mindy and his student are forced to embark on a media tour to convince the general public that impending doom awaits.
McKay told the New York Times that climate change was a central theme of Don't Look Up, but revealed that the pandemic also influenced the story.
"What that did was bring out what the movie is really about, which is how we communicate with each other. We can’t even talk to each other anymore. We can’t even agree. So it’s about climate change, but at its root it’s about what has the internet, what have cellphones, what has the modern world done to the way we communicate,” McKay said.
6 Jennifer Lawrence Was The First To Be Cast
Jennifer Lawrence has been quiet for the past few years, so McKay's announcement that she had been cast in Don't Look Up was welcome news for fans and for the director.
"I've been a giant fan [of hers] since she first came on the scene and she just straight up makes me laugh. So I wrote this role for her. She was the first actor in," McKay revealed to Entertainment Weekly.
“I’m so thrilled to make this movie with Jen Lawrence,” McKay later said. “She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call ‘a dynamite act.’ And the fact that Netflix sees this movie as a worldwide comedy sets the bar high for me and my team in an exciting and motivating way.”
Lawrence has remained mum about her casting, but her personal life has made headlines as of late - the Oscar winner recently announced she was expecting her first child with husband Cooke Maroney. The expecting mother may be absent from the Don't Look Up promotional tour, but hopefully the rest of the A-list cast will be able to help out!
5 Leonardo DiCaprio Loved The Script
Leonardo DiCaprio has a reputation as one of the most selective actors in his cohort, which indicates he was likely excited about playing Don't Look Up's protagonist. ""I guess you could say I target most of the directors I want to work with," DiCaprio has told USA Today. He spoke fondly of McKay's storytelling ability, and how he felt when he first read the script.
"Adam [McKay] has an unparalleled ability to spark conversation with humor and timely stories," DiCaprio told People. "I knew when I read his script that it was incredibly unique, as it struck an important chord concerning the modern world we live in. Adam has woven an incredibly timely message about society, how we communicate, our current priorities, and the climate crisis into an absurdly funny yet important movie."
"Leo was interested and then the pandemic hit. So we used lot of the time during the pandemic to just go through the script, talk about his character. He's really smart, he really knows movies, he knows movie history, he understands characters, and it was very enjoyable," McKay revealed to Entertainment Weekly.
4 Jonah Hill Had A Blast Playing His Character
Not much is known thus far about Jonah Hill's Don't Look Up character, though it has been revealed that he plays Jason, the son and Chief of Staff of the President of the United States (played by none other than Meryl Streep). Hill eagerly promoted the film on his Instagram page, writing: "Creating this guy was the grossest blast I’ve ever had. I thought, what if Fyre Festival was a person and that person had power in the White House. See you in December."
He later shared another photo from the film, writing "Wait til you meet this a**hole".
Hill seems to be hinting that he may be one of the villains in the movie, but fans will have to wait for December to meet his character and watch him reunite on-screen with real-life friend Leonardo DiCaprio.
3 Matthew Perry Was Very Excited About His Casting
Save for a headline-making appearance on this year's Friends reunion, Matthew Perry has been relatively quiet in Hollywood lately. All this will change when he appears in an unknown role in Don't Look Up, and the actor may have revealed he will be sharing scenes with Meryl Streep. Perry booked the role in October 2020, and shared the news in a way that would make Chandler Bing proud.
The next day, Perry continued to promote the film with his trademark sense of humour, tweeting: "I am not sure why Leonardo DiCaprio is billed ahead of me in the upcoming film " Don't Look Up" But I don't want you guys to worry about it. I know some people. We'll figure this thing out. #Couldnotbemoreexcited".
2 Adam McKay Talked About Meryl Streep And Chris Evan's Roles
Like Jennifer Lawrence, superstars Meryl Streep and Chris Evans have stayed quiet about their involvement in Don't Look Up. Luckily, director Adam McKay gave fans hints about their roles when he spoke to Entertainment Weekly.
"She's very concerned about the poll numbers, very concerned about the politics, loves her own celebrity. She's a hybrid of all the ridiculous leaders that we've had for the past ten, 20, 30 years," McKay said about Streep's character.
As for Captain America?
“Chris Evans has a little cameo in the movie," McKay added. "He's very funny. I won't give away who he plays but he does pop up in the movie.”
1 Ariana Grande Shared The Trailer
Ariana Grande is returning to her acting roots! The singer's character in Don't Look Up is also a mystery, but new photos from the film have revealed that Grande will likely be sharing most of her scenes with Scott Mescudi (whom most people know as Kid Cudi). The singer promoted the film on her Instagram in September. Though she didn't say much about the film, she did share the release date with her 271 million followers.
