Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay has reportedly left his next Netflix film in favour of a climate change project.
Back in March of this year, we covered a story that announced that Adam McKay’s follow-up to Don’t Look Up, the starry Netflix ensemble hit, would be Average Height, Average Build.
The project was again being backed by Netflix and was set to feature Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr, Forest Whitaker and Danielle Deadwyler.
A lot has happened since then, including two major Hollywood strikes, not to mention today’s news that Netflix will be making fewer films and looking instead to license them from other studios. Oh, and the state of our world’s environment continues to be troubling, not least when you have developed countries like the UK rolling back net zero targets despite it being horribly obvious that we’re in the midst of a climate crisis.
Apparently, it’s the latter issue which has caused McKay to drop Average Height, Average Build.
The filmmaker is ditching the comedy-tinged serial killer thriller to pursue a project that deals with the worsening climate emergency, according to a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter:
Said a spokesperson for the director: “With the climate emergency having escalated a great deal, Adam McKay has decided to make his next directorial project a climate related one, so he will not be directing Average Height, Average Build.”
Read more: Don’t Look Up review | Netflix’s star-studded end of the year saga
The film was said to revolve around ‘Pattinson playing a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist (Adams) to change laws that will allow him to get away with murder more easily. Downey’s role was a retired cop who won’t give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he’s hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr Smith Goes To Washington figure shielding his true motives.’
The fact that the news emerges the same week that Netflix confirms it is making fewer movies will have some questioning whether the decision was entirely one made by McKay.
The Hollywood Reporter piece states that McKay found it difficult to set the film up, with multiple studios reportedly passing on the project due to budget concerns.
Apple, with whom McKay has a first look deal, also declined to back the project. We’re guessing that the rather divisive reaction to McKay’s last film, Don’t Look Up, may well have played into that decision making process.
It’s a shame, as it sounded like a very fun project; maybe it’s one the filmmaker can revive at some point. In the meantime, we’ll bring you more on McKay’s ‘climate emergency’ project as we hear it.
