Don’t Look Up: Ariana Grande improvised lines in Netflix film’s musical number

‘The second I heard it, I was like, “Oh, that’s going in the movie”,’ said director Adam McKay

Ariana Grande improvised parts of her song in the Netflix satire Don’t Look Up, according to director Adam McKay.

The pop star appears in the film as world-famous musician Riley Bina, at one point performing a song.

Don’t Look Up stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astronomers who struggle to convince the world of impending danger as a kilometers-wide comet threatens to wipe out all life on Earth.

In one scene, Grande’s character performs at a benefit concert to raise awareness about the comet.

Speaking in a behind-the-scenes featurette, McKay addressed the improvisation on set: “The rule I always say is, let’s get the written version because we’ve then fulfilled the legal obligation of our contract. Then once you have it, you’re free.

“Ariana Grande most certainly did improvise. Her best improv was when she sang the song for the first time. She’s the one who added all that stuff about, ‘We’re all gonna die. Turn off that s***box news’. That was her riffing on the first scratch track of the melody line, and the second I heard it, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s going in the movie.’”

Don’t Look Up can be streamed on Netflix now.