Don't Look Up Director Says Movie's Phone Sex Hotline Number Was An Accident
Don't Look Up director Adam McKay says the film's inclusion of a real phone sex hotline was entirely accidental. The science-fiction satire about two astronomers who discover a large comet on a collision course with Earth released on Netflix on December 24 after enjoying a limited theatrical release. Though Don't Look Up set some viewership records for the streamer on the way to becoming one of its most popular original movies, it has proven divisive, particularly among professional critics.
While the movie takes satirical jabs at a wide range of targets as it allegorically explores society's response to the threat of climate change, fans picked up on a surprising Easter egg that left them wondering whether it was intentional. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio's Dr. Randall Mindy takes part in a PSA video about the coming comet threat, which includes an official hotline people can call to ask questions and alleviate their stress. Though phone numbers in Hollywood films are often fake, viewers of Don't Look Up discovered that dialing this one connected them to a very real phone sex hotline.
Related: Don't Look Up True Story: Why It's Not Just About Climate Panic
When asked about this by People, however, McKay confirms this was not an intentional joke on the part of the filmmakers. He reveals that they had intended to set up a number that could be used to promote the film, with viewers who call in seemingly being greeted by the comet-hotline promised by DiCaprio's character. They ended up returning to the idea too late, though, and they threw in a 555-number they thought would be fake. Check out McKay's full quote below:
We were going to set up a line for that. But we didn't think of doing it until the end and we didn't have
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