Adam McKay, director of Don’t Look Up has revealed that his daughter was the one who came up with a brilliant line for Ariana Grande’s character.
During a long discussion about many topics with Insider, Adam McKay spoke about his most recent film Don’t Look Up, and various aspects of making the Netflix hit. Ariana Grande’s casting in the film as an Ariana Grande-esque character, Riley Bina, was inspired partly by his daughter’s admiration for the pop star – but she then inspired an iconic line in the film as he recalls.
Yeah, but it’s funny where that came from. I originally had a different line there. It was “mind your own business, you boomer fuck.” 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 fuck.” [Laughs] So because of their note, I changed the line. I give them all the credit.
Adam McKay, Insider
McKay also praised Grande’s acting chops, telling Insider that he “Always knew she had an incredible voice but the more I learned about her I learned she’s got some acting under her belt.”.
The gamble clearly paid off, with her performance among many cited by critics and viewers as highlights of the film. The ensemble cast is one that even Marvel would envy, with actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chalamet all joining together.
This massive shift in A-list actors signing up for streaming service originals is something we’ll be getting far more well-acquainted with, as theatre chains continue to struggle and justify existence in a post-pandemic world. George Clooney even said that theaters aren’t interested in his movies anymore, praising streaming services for their willingness to diversify content.
Don’t Look Up was a smash hit for Netflix, with it becoming the streaming giant’s second biggest movie of all time after less than a month online.