Warning: Spoilers ahead
What would humanity do if a huge space rock was hurling towards Earth? Adam McKay, director of “The Big Short,” and “Anchorman,” says that we might not care.
McKay’s newest film, “Don’t Look Up“A dark comedy making its debut NetflixTwo astronomers discover that a large, comet they call a “planet killer”, is heading straight for Earth on Dec. 10. The situation is a surprise, but not surprising, and humanity fails to see it or believe it.
McKay spoke exclusively to Space.com about his inspiration for the film, its secret meaning, and what he imagines would happen if a Space.com interview was conducted. cometWe were truly headed for Earth.
Related: NASA’s DART asteroid-impact mission explained in pictures
McKay spoke about the film, which is just one in a long list of movies about an asteroid, or comet, that McKay loves. McKay said, “If youre watching a movie, it’s not like you’re watching a movie.” [like this] … the scientist makes the discovery, the scientist tells someone, they go to the White House, they get to work on the problem. He said that everyone knows this routine.
McKay tried to put things in a more realistic context. He said, “It made it laugh and it horrified me to imagine how that routine would look now and we’re watching it play out.” “I’m willing to bet that if they went the White House, we’d keep them waiting for six, seven, or seven hours.”
He said, “And I do believe that’s what would occur.” “I think that if an astronomer discovered a…” [dangerous]I camet and notified authorities that I was going with the President. However, I bet you’d be kept waiting all the day.”
McKay stated that he would go 50/50 if a huge space rock was actually on its way to Earth.
He compared the situation with the COVID-19 epidemic. “I wrote the script prior to COVID, but now you’re seeing incredible COVID denial, footdragging, because there [are]He stated that there were concerns about the economy and people playing politics.
The film also shows that the pandemic isn’t the only connection.
Related: The Greatest Comet Close Encounters of All Time
A not-so-hidden meaning
McKay stated that the film was a Clark Kent-level disguise for the climate crisis. He was referring to Superman’s Clark Kent “disguise” which consisted mainly of a pair glasses.
McKay demonstrates how humans might react (badly), to news of their imminent death by way a giant comet. climate change. We know it’s there, we know how serious, but we don’t act like it.
“We are not trying to disguise it that hard.” [climate change]He said. The film is a “riff on how would people respond to this … it’s denial, it’s distraction. It’s not mentioned in the news, and then they jump to a commercial about a gas-driven car. It’s careerism, not conflict of interest. There are many people who are financially insecure. It takes courage to stand up at a newspaper meeting and say, “Why don’t you have a huge headline that says, “Oh, my god, we’re all going crazy!”
The film uses humor, storytelling and a huge comet to convey a message on climate change. McKay offers a simple hope for viewers to be affected by the movie’s powerful message.
McKay stated, “I don’t expect, you know? Religious, earthshaking and mind-changing outcomes out of this movie. But just, if the world could be seen and see the distractions. See the profit motive. See the careerism. See the contentiousness. That creates profits separated slightly from what matters just barely. I would be happy with it.”
McKay is optimistic about Earth, even though this movie shows how humans are reacting poorly to climate change.
He said, “Ultimately, I am very hopeful about the future climate because we have an excalibur, we’ve got a secret weapon.” “It’s science! Science can accomplish amazing, unbelievable things. Imagine all the lives saved by vaccines that were developed at record speeds. McKay spoke of a variety of scientific climate efforts, new developments in carbon capture technology and renewable energy, and many more.
“I just hope people — through laughing, through engaging with the movie — could just see things a little bit differently when it comes to and feel the urgency of the climate crisis and feel the urgency of the moment, maybe just a little bit more,” he said.
Science fiction becomes fact
McKay’s passion and enthusiasm for science was evident as he discussed NASA’s recent developments DART(Double Astrosteroid Redirection Test) Mission that actually saw the agency launch spacecraft to test what it might do if a huge space rock were to threaten Earth.
DART launched on Nov. 24It will travel for 10 months to an asteroid system, where it will practice smashing into space rocks to change its orbit. In “Don’t Look Up,” a mission similar to the one in “Don’t Look Up” is launched using a similar planetary defence technique. It goes hilariously wrong.
“I think it’s terrific,” McKay said. McKay stated that it was an example of science in which scientists used collective action and empirical thoughts to potentially save billions of people from a terrible catastrophe.
Chelsea Gohd, email at cgohd@space.com, or follow her Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @SpacedotcomAnd on Facebook.
