Meryl Streep and More Stars Cast in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up for Netflix
Meryl Streep in Devil wears Prada
“All These Stars! It Blinds Us, It Blinds Us!”
By this time, we can all bet on the fact that Netflix can do just about anything. It has the stories for it, it has the talents ready to play it, and it most certainly has the cash to fund it all. So it came as no surprise when just a few days ago blast-worthy news hit the online entertainment circuit. No whispers were heard but rather loud announcements that Netflix has cast a troupe of A-list celebrities in a movie that is sure to turn heads.
Director Adam McKay is probably getting ready to play Captain because this ship comes jam-packed with stars the likes of which critics just ten years ago would never have thought would be working with a streaming platform.
“Don’t Look Up” is Netflix’s answer to the future of cinema. And the lineup of stars it has cast in this movie is all the support it needs to push its worth ‘up’.
The sizzling star-studded cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, Matthew Perry, Tomer Sisley, Jonah Hill, Himesh Patel, Rob Morgan, Kid Cudi, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio and, the fan-titled ‘Queen of Hollywood’ herself, Meryl Streep.
Cast members
The Golden Brick Road
What’s truly fascinating about this film is that it’s going to be a Sci-Fi Satire. There are going to be laughs and giggles involved, especially considering that the plotline (according to Collider) centers around “two low-level astronomers who embark on a media tour to warn mankind of an approaching asteroid that will destroy Earth.”
The hyperobject Industries flag seems to be lining this veritable golden pathway of possibilities. Kevin Messick and Adam McKay have joined forces to produce the movie under the aegis of Hyperobject Industries.
Jennifer Lawrence
McKay’s previous work includes good films like “Step Brothers”, “Anchorman” (1 & 2), and “The Big Short”. Messick has collaborated with McKay on the latter two projects, as well as on “The Other Guys”. The two of them are not new to working with Jennifer Lawrence. They have completed a biography (upcoming) called “Bad Blood” in which Jennifer has been cast in the lead as biotech billionaire Elizabeth Holmes.
An Environmental Angle?
Leonardo DiCaprio
Is there going to be some kind of fundraising or alert-message involved around this film? Because we’re looking at DiCaprio here, who has proven he is all for taking action against climate change. And we have the man himself, Adam McKay, whose affiliations in this regard are on the side of Mother Nature.
What The Future Holds
This mega-casting news is not new, in fact, a big-wig name or two has gradually been seeping into the entertainment rumor-mill since May 2020, perhaps even a month before when Leonardo DiCaprio’s name popped up in connection to McKay.
The Made-In China coronavirus pandemic stopped even this illustrious project from going ahead full steam. We’re all a tad worried if Leo will back out, which does not seem to be the case as of this latest report. Our worries stem from the fact that he has another major project lined up, namely Martin Scorsese‘s crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon” (this one is well within Apple’s bag of entertainment titles).
Are Theatres Dead or Dying?
A little bit of both, actually. When some of the biggest international movie stars like DiCaprio are doing big-budget films for streaming services, one can almost hear the death knell ringing for the traditional box office.
However, just because a movie is going straight to streaming does not mean it will never see the inside of a movie hall. Theatrical releases are still ever-present for such films. After all, there’s no law against production houses grabbing the best of both worlds.
Then again, we need to bear in mind that resuming production has proven to be a ‘streamer’s game’. They kickstart things much faster than major studios making movies exclusively for theatres.
Some Déjà Vu For You
Timothee Chalamet in The King
Three of our super-stars have already made inroads into Netflix’s streaming lobbies. Meaning, they have worked on Netflix projects before being cast in “Don’t Look Up”.
Timothée Chalamet’s performance alongside Robert Pattinson in “The King” already has everyone’s award-vote. Jonah Hill’s work on “Maniac” held the trending charts for a good while. And Meryl Streep’s latest promo photos for “The Prom” have proved that age is just a number and that this ‘Goddess of the Arts’ could well be immortal.
“Don’t Look Up” is all set for a grand Netflix release sometime in 2021. All these stars in one movie mean possible theatre releases, depending on when this dratted virus decides to let up (should probably make a call to the Chinese Communist Party about this).
When all is said and done, Netflix and other streaming giants taking on such projects are a ‘sign of the times’. Bob Dylan sang it best… The Times They Are A-Changing’.