Jennifer Lawrence joins the cast of Adam McKay’s new film, Don’t Look Up. Making a name for himself with comedies such as Anchorman and Talladega Nights, McKay has spent the past few years transitioning to more prestige fare, winning an Oscar for 2015’s The Big Short and earning three more nominations for 2018’s Vice. Looking to build off that success, he’s putting together his next project, a doomsday comedy called Don’t Look Up. The film is about two astronomers who go on a media tour to alert the world a meteorite is about to destroy Earth. And now, it’s added a major star to its cast.
Variety is reporting Lawrence has signed on to star in Don’t Look Up, which is scheduled to begin production in April. Netflix has the distribution rights and plans to release the movie this year. Lawrence’s role is currently unknown, but it’s possible she is playing one of the astronomers. At one point, Lawrence and McKay were planning to work together on Elizabeth Holmes biopic Bad Blood, though that project never came into fruition.
Collaborating with McKay may help Lawrence get her mojo back. In the early 2010s, she was one of the biggest names in the industry, headlining the blockbuster Hunger Games series and earning several award nominations (including an Oscar win for her turn in Silver Linings Playbook). But lately, with the likes of Passengers and mother! bombing at the box office, Lawrence’s vehicles are struggling to make much of an impact. She’s in need of a hit, so hopefully Don’t Look Up can do the trick. On-paper, it sounds like it could be a great fit for McKay’s sensibilities, taking him back to his comedy roots while also peppering in the satirical social commentary his later films are known for (the “Fake news!” jokes write themselves here). And with Netflix backing, Don’t Look Up could get an awards push if it lives up to its potential.
McKay had this to say about collaborating with Lawrence: “I’m so thrilled to make this movie with Jen Lawrence. She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call ‘a dynamite talent.’ 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.”
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Don’t Look Up doesn’t have a release date yet.
Source: Variety
