How could people be so chill about the end of the world? That’s the question Adam McKay asks in his star-studded, totally-not-unrealistic new film Don’t Look Up, which released its full-length trailer today.
Leonardo DiCaprio (Dr. Randall Mindy) and Jennifer Lawrence (Dr. Kate Dibiasky) star as astronomers who discover a “very large comet” is set to crash into Earth in McKay’s dark comedy. But while Dr. Mindy rightfully panics at this news, no one else seems to care. “This comet is what we call a planet killer,” says Dr. Clayton “Teddy” Oglethorpe, played by Rob Morgan.
“At this exact moment, I say we sit tight and assess,” responds President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) during their meeting. Jason Orlean (Jonah Hill), the president’s son and Chief of Staff, further elaborates on the strategy — or lack thereof. “The sit tight part comes first,” he explains, while channeling his character from The Wolf of Wall Street. “Then you got to digest it. That’s the assessment period.”
Following the meeting, the astronomers conclude they have to leak the information. This leads to an appearance on a talk show, during which Dr. Dibiasky bursts out with an alarming statement. “There’s a 100% chance that we’re going die!” she exclaims.
Later on, the true motivation behind the President’s strategy is revealed: the comet contains $30 trillion worth of material. The trailer presents Don’t Look Up as a film both ridiculous and arresting, which makes sense given McKay’s recent filmography (Vice, The Big Short).
And with star power from its Oscar-winning main cast and cameos from the likes of Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, and Cate Blanchett, the director’s latest turn at capital-C Commentary is bound to draw attention.
Don’t Look Up hits select theaters on December 10th and Netflix on December 24th. Watch the trailer below.
