A new image from Adam McKay’sDon’t Look Upshows Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi cuddling on the couch, drinking some champagne. While just seeing Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande could be enough for some, they are just pieces of a much larger whole. In addition to these two,Don’t Look Upfeatures one of the greatest collection of actors and actresses to ever grace the silver screen (and the TV screen since this is coming to Netflix).
Don’t Look Upis a science fiction black comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two low-level astronomers embarking on a media tour to warn mankind about anapproaching comet that will destroy Earth. This film comes from director McKay, who recently directedThe Big ShortandVice, two dark comedies that didn’t shy away from their politics. Both of these films earned McKay an Academy Award nomination for Best Director andViceearned a nomination for Best Picture. McKay has taken some goofier comedies includingThe Other Guys,Step Brothers, andAnchorman. McKay is also writing and producing this film.
AlongsideKid CudiandAriana Grande, the rest of the cast is massive and you might want to take a breath before reading it. The cast is rounded out by Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Timothee Chalamet, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Rob Morgan, Ron Perlman, and Michael Chiklis. The number of Academy Award nominations and wins amongst this crew is absurd. Besides DiCaprio and Lawrence, it’s not clear how big of a role everyone else will have, including Grande and Kid Cudi.
Netflix recently dropped a teaser trailer featuring many shots showing a stressed out DiCaprio. Hill and Streep appear to have a governmental role as they are shown in the oval office. From the trailer, it seems like no one is taking this comet seriously despite it having apocalyptic consequences. McKay does not shy away from social commentary andDon’t Look Upwill surely have plenty of it.
In an interview with The New York Times, McKay discussed the politics ofDon’t Look Upand mentioned that it initially started as an allegory for climate change, but somewhat shifted when the pandemic hit.
“That is kind of how it started. But then the pandemic hit. What that did was bring out what the movie is really about, which is how we communicate with each other,” McKay said. “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.”
The trailer made sure to highlight the amazing cast, showing everyone’s name in huge letters to emphasize how many big name celebrities are going to appear here.Don’t Look Upcould end up being a nice Christmas gift as it drops onNetflixon Dec. 24th. It will also have a limited theatrical release on Dec. 10th. Make sure to keep this movie on your radar as it will certainly be relevant once award season arrives.
