"I changed the line. I give them all the credit," McKay said about how he changed Riley Bina's dialogue.
Adam McKay's disaster-comedy film Don't Look Up was released theatrically on December 10, 2021, and then on Netflix on December 24. In the short time since its release, the movie has been making waves for its very real critique of the inadequate climate change response from world leaders as well the media's downplaying of the serious matter. The film got a mixed response. Those who did not seem to like it are being told by those who loved it that they have missed the satire of the film.
The film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence created a new record for the most viewing hours in a single week on Netflix. It is currently the second most-watched film on the streaming site within 28 days of release.
The film is already a phenomenon, with memorable scenes and dialogues. Talking about how life imitates art, he told Insider, about an article that predicted that in eight years, most of the countries will experience one in 100-year heat events. "So I read this story and I'm like, how are we not talking about this? This is crazy! This is when civilization could teeter," McKay stated. "I don't see any of that coverage. But meanwhile, there are stories about my tweet and it's really strange. So we wrote it that way cause it's true." He noted how his fallout with Farrell received more news articles than the catastrophic climate change we will all soon experience.
He also shared how many of the unforgettable moments in the film came to be. This included DiCaprio's line that he says in the end, "We really did have it all." McKay shared that the line wasn't in the script. "He came with that the day we were filming," he said. The line does leave an impact when he says it at that moment. He also shared that they were initially not going to put the line in the film but DiCaprio pushed for it to be included. "The line was so devastating. We were trying to get the balance of that ending just right. You don't want to traumatize the audience but you want it to hit them," McKay stated.
Another line that made it into the film that had a hilarious impact instead of a sad one is Ariana Grande's response to DiCaprio's character. When their characters meet in the green room before their TV appearance, DiCaprio's Dr. Randall Mindy sympathizes with Grande's pop star character, Riley Bina's break-up. "I originally had a different line there. It was 'mind your own business, you boomer f***,'" he recalled. "And my daughter, Pearl, and her friend, Ava, were both like, 'No one says boomer anymore.' They were like, "You can't have her say that.' So I was like, 'Well, what would she say to him?' And they were both like, She would just call him an old f***. So because of their note, I changed the line. I give them all the credit."
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