Don't Look Up · written by Adam McKay · 2021

Locked in a White House office, Kate and Oglethorpe learn Randall has been appointed chief science adviser while Kate is excluded.

Scene 125 of 205 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Dr. Oglethorpe
Randall
Kate
Jason

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:11 into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 125

After PhD candidate Kate Dibiasky discovers a comet on a direct collision course with Earth, she and Professor Randall Mindy try to persuade a politically distracted President, a media-saturated public, and a powerful technology company to stop it before impact.

Scenes 1–7
Kate and Randall work within the familiar routine of astronomy and university research.
Scenes 8–26
They discover the impact deadline and need the government and public to respond, but Orlean refuses immediate action.
Scenes 27–60
Kate and Oglethorpe take the warning outside official channels, entering the press and television world to reach the public.
Scenes 61–72
The scientists navigate conspiracy claims, arrest, and political reversal as Orlean finally announces a deflection mission.
Scenes 73–122
Their warning appears to win official action and a national launch, though Randall’s celebrity role and BASH’s access undermine the effort.
Just before
Scene 122
Brie quotes a French poem as she kisses Randall in the situation room; Orlean returns with news about the mission.
Scene 123
The launched vehicles turn around and head back toward Earth as the global crowd falls silent.
Scene 124
Mission Control asks what happened to the mission.
Scene 125
This scene

125INT. WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - TWO HOURS LATER

Teddy, Randall and Kate are in a generic office. Teddy tries the door.

DR. OGLETHORPE

It’s still locked.

RANDALL

I don’t understand what could have

happened. The mission was working.

Everything was on track.

DR. OGLETHORPE

It could have been anything,

guidance system could have

malfunction, nukes destabilized.

Myriad of things.

KATE

Who was that man who walked in when

we were in the situation room? He

looked familiar.

DR. OGLETHORPE

That was Peter Isherwell, CEO of

BASH. And the third richest human

ever.

RANDALL

He’s the guy that bought the

Gutenberg Bible and then lost it.

The door opens. It’s Jason.

JASON

Sorry to keep you waiting, but the

situation is extremely fluid.

(and then)

Dr. Randall, you’re now Chief

Science Advisor to the White

House...

RANDALL

What?

JASON

...and as such we need you for an

emergency cabinet meeting right now

where you will be fully debriefed.

KATE

What about us?

JASON

You don’t have the clearance for

this, sweetheart. Don’t trip, got

you some snacks. Waters.

Jason tosses everything on the floor.

RANDALL

You don’t need to throw it on the

floor.

JASON

It’ll be 3-4 hours, tops.

KATE

What if we have to go to the