'Don't Look Up' Teaser Has Meryl Streep As The President Unfazed By Global Crisis

Due out Dec. 10, the dark comedy stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as astronomers out to warn the world about an apocalyptic threat.
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"Don't Look Up" is scheduled to hit theaters and Netflix in December.
NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX

If movies won awards based on star power alone, “Don’t Look Up” would surely be a top contender. 

Netflix unveiled the trailer for the dark comedy Wednesday, offering fans glimpses of its buzz-worthy cast but little in the way of plot specifics. Written and directed by Adam McKay, the film follows two astronomers, Kate Dibiasky (played by Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), as they attempt to warn the world about the apocalyptic threat that looms as a comet approaches. 

Parallels to the polarizing, real-life debate taking place around the science of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are, of course, intentional. Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande and Tyler Perry also appear in the “Don’t Look Up” trailer, while Chris Evans will make a cameo in the movie. 

Catch the “Don’t Look Up” trailer below.

Much of the early buzz, however, has focused on Meryl Streep’s performance as President Janie Orlean. In what appears to be a clear dig at the family ties of former President Donald Trump’s administration, Orlean employs her son, Jason (Jonah Hill), as her chief of staff. 

McKay, whose credits include “The Big Short” and “Anchorman,” is no stranger to skewering political figures on film, casting Christian Bale as former Vice President Dick Cheney in the 2018 comedy “Vice.” Streep’s character, he said, is meant to be “a hybrid of all the ridiculous leaders that we’ve had for the past 10, 20, 30 years” rather than a stand-in for Trump. 

“She’s very concerned about the poll numbers, very concerned about the politics, loves her own celebrity,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Wednesday.  

DiCaprio, meanwhile, praised the “Don’t Look Up” script for having “struck an important chord concerning the modern world we live in,” telling EW, “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.”

“Don’t Look Up” is set to hit theaters Dec. 10, and will be available to stream on Netflix Dec. 24.

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