Sure, all the recent chatter surrounding Adam McKay is regarding his upcoming “Parasite” TV adaptation he’s working on with Bong Joon Ho. But let’s not forget that the filmmaker also has a big feature film he’s developing, titled “Don’t Look Up.” And it appears that not only has McKay found his star for the film but that his comedy is on the fast track.
According to THR, Jennifer Lawrence has come aboard to star in the upcoming film “Don’t Look Up,” from writer-director McKay. The film tells the story of two scientists that discover a meteor that will strike Earth in six months, leading to a potentially humanity-ending catastrophe. They then go around the world trying to warn people, only to have their news fall on deaf ears.
In addition to the news that Lawrence is starring, it appears that Netflix has come aboard to help finance and release the film. Originally pitched to Paramount, the report claims that the studio was worried about the $75 million budget and passed. This opened the door for Netflix to swoop in and make the deal.
This isn’t the first time that McKay and Lawrence have flirted with the idea of working together. Years ago, it was reported that the actress was going to star in McKay’s film “Bad Blood.” However, it appears that the film has been put on the backburner.
“She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call ‘a dynamite act,’” said McKay about his new star. “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.”
Netflix’s Scott Stuber added, “Adam has always had great timing when it comes to making smart, relevant and irreverent films that depict our culture. Even if he somehow ends up predicting planet Earth’s imminent demise, we’re excited to add this to our slate before it all comes to an end.”
While McKay has a number of irons in the fire, so to speak, “Don’t Look Up” is apparently now on the fast track, with production scheduled to begin in April. Why the big rush? Well, Netflix reportedly would like to have McKay’s newest film ready by the end of 2020. So, we weren’t expecting to say this a week ago, but we can plan on seeing Jennifer Lawrence team with McKay by the end of the year. That is, if the world doesn’t end by then.