The number of Hollywood A-listers who’ve starred in Netflix movies keeps growing. And now another iconic star is joining in on the trend. Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence has just signed on for Adam McKay’s newest comedy -- and it’s coming straight to the streaming platform.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Lawrence will star in Don’t Look Up, the newest film from the Vice and The Big Short writer-director. The film will be Jennifer Lawrence’s first project made exclusively for a streaming platform. Though this is the first time she and Adam McKay have teamed up, in a recent statement he made it clear that he is thrilled to have her on board:
She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call 'a dynamite talent.' 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.
According to THR, Don't Look Up follows two scientists who, upon discovering that a meteor will strike the Earth in six months, go on a media tour to try to warn the world but find an unreceptive and unbelieving populace.
Jennifer Lawrence made a name for herself for powerful dramatic performances in films like Mother! and The Hunger Games trilogy. But though Don’t Look Up will be her first pure comedy film, it’s not a surprise that she’s turning toward the genre. She won the Best Actress Academy Award in 2013 for Silver Linings Playbook, which was every bit as funny as it was moving.
What may be surprising is the fact that she’s joining the ranks of other actors who’ve taken on Netflix projects, since thus far she’s mostly built her career on a mixture of huge franchise films and prestige dramas. But, then, Jennifer Lawrence has made a name for herself by doing the unexpected.
And at this point, it may be time to stop being surprised when another huge star shows up in a Netflix film. Despite a debate as to whether or not the streaming platform really “counts” as a legitimate studio, it’s distributed some of the most acclaimed films of the last few years. Prominent and beloved directors -- from Alfonso Cuaron and David Fincher to Martin Scorsese and recent Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho -- have all released projects through Netflix. It was only a matter of time before stars began to follow suit.
In the past few years, everyone from Will Smith and Brad Pitt to Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston have lent their star power to Netflix films, with varying degrees of success and critical reception. And the platform has made an especially welcome home for comedies -- Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy have both found huge success with their recent Netflix films. In other words: Jennifer Lawrence will be in some pretty decent company.
Though there’s no official release date for Don’t Look Up yet, but THR reports that production will begin this spring, and Netflix is hoping to release the film later this year. In the meantime, check out the other 2020 Netflix releases.
