‘Don’t Look Up’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, releases today in select theatres, making it one of the most awaited film releases of the year. Also starring Hollywood biggies like Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Chris Evans, Cate Blanchett and Timothée Chalamet, the movie is based on two astronomers who try to warn mankind about a giant comet that will erase the entire population. It is a satirical comedy on how the astronomers, played by DiCaprio and Lawrence, are not taken seriously, even by the White House and the US President, played by Meryl Streep.

While the movie is not based on a true story, it is certainly inspired by real-life events. It is more of a satirical and heavily dramatized version of real-life events, than an exact representation of reality. Director Adam McKay opened up about how the idea of the movie struck him. McKay was deeply worried a decade ago when news about climate change began surfacing. But as the pandemic struck, he wanted the plot to be more intense. McKay decided to go full throttle with his script during the pandemic, after observing the shocking and bizarre US political landscape when former President Donald Trump considered the idea of ingesting bleach to kill the coronavirus.

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Right after this incident, McKay decided to reach out to the producer and cast members to begin the shooting process.

The film is also slightly inspired by the 1975 action-thriller Jaws, in which the mayor refuses to believe the white shark situation and ridicules the marine scientist.

The character of Meryl Streep as President on the other hand, is inspired by bits and pieces of USA’s former presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Don’t Look Up releases globally on Netflix on December 24, 2021. The movie labels itself as “based on real events that haven’t happened yet.”