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

Orlean announces the comet’s collision course and a five-month arrival estimate from a battleship stage.

Scene 74 of 205 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

President Orlean

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 56 min into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 74

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.
Just before
Scene 71
Kate, Randall, and Oglethorpe wait outside the Oval Office as Jason calls them inside.
Scene 72
Orlean apologizes and announces action, while Kate confronts her about opportunistically responding to the scandal and Calder agrees to resign.
Scene 73
A mother and daughter watch their television program interrupted by an emergency presidential address.
Scene 74
This scene

74EXT. WW 2 BATTLESHIP - NIGHT

President Orlean, at a podium in front of a WORLD WAR TWO BATTLESHIP with American flags everywhere. It’s lit like a movie. Behind her are Randall, Kate, Teddy and Jason. Jason occasionally mouths the words of the speech along with his Mom.

PRESIDENT ORLEAN

Citizens of the United States and

peoples of the world. I have just

been handed scientific findings

that confirm a worst case scenario.

An unprecedented comet 9 kilometers

wide is now on a direct collision

course with our cherished home:

planet earth. Estimated time of

arrival is approximately 5 months,

so we have some time.