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

Orlean describes launching decommissioned shuttles and satellites carrying nuclear explosives to divert the comet.

Scene 78 of 205 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

President Orlean

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 57 min into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 78

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 75
In the Oval Office, Jason says an emergency spending bill has been drafted.
Scene 76
Orlean says the bill will fund a NASA and military deflection mission.
Scene 77
Randall welcomes the spending bill’s approval by Congress.
Scene 78
This scene

78EXT. BATTLESHIP

PRESIDENT ORLEAN

And that will enable NASA and our

great military to launch a

preemptive strike using

decommissioned Space Shuttles and

Satellites loaded with nuclear

explosives. We will knock Comet

Dibiasky off her course.