Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”) is taking the lead in an original Netflix satire “Don’t Look Up.”
Written and directed by Adam McKay (“The Big Short,” “Anchorman”), it gives Lawrence a chance to show off her comedy chops. She stars as an astronomer who goes on a media tour with a colleague to alert mankind that an asteroid is about to destroy Earth.
McKay said of Lawrence: “She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call ‘a dynamite act.’ And the fact that Netflix sees this movie as a worldwide comedy sets the bar high for me and my team in an exciting and motivating way.”
The movie begins shooting in April with plans for a 2020 release.
Netflix film chief Scott Stuber added: “Even if [McKay] somehow ends up predicting planet Earth’s imminent demise, we’re excited to add this to our slate before it all comes to an end.”
Lawrence is also starring in and producing the drama “Red, White and Water,” playing a solider coping with PTSD, which is also slated to premiere this year. This marks the feature directorial debut of Lila Neugerbaur, who directed Tony winner Elaine May in the Broadway revival of “The Waverly Gallery.”
In addition, Netflix has greenlit “Painkiller,” a new series that will address the opioid crisis. Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights”) will direct the eight-episode show. Eric Newman, the showrunner for “Narcos,” is executive producer.